A lick.

We are at breaking point.
Or at least close to it; Talia + midterms = no bueno.

On the way to class today, I thought, "But 'motherhood is so rewarding!'" Echoing the throngs of people that have said that over the years. I never knew what they were referring to exactly; there are few vaguer phrases.
So I came up with a more concrete image:

Imagine yourself on a very long bus ride in July. It is sweltering, the bus stinks, and you are not sure how the driver passed the driving test. Just when you are sure you have whiplash and are about to suffocate... there are still three more stops. Finally, the bus stops and you take two steps and enter a clean, cool ice cream shop. That feeling you get when you take the first lick of a chocolate-covered-orange-creme-swirl cone?

That's what it's like when Talia laughs.
Only about a thousand times better.

The Luggage Line

School this year is kind of different.

I'm married (which makes my personal bubble about five times bigger than most of the other students).
I have a baby (so all I talk about is spit up incidents and how I need to get home because my baby is starving).
I'm an artist (and some days I hate my life/career/stupid paint that won't do what I want).

Fortunately, most days, I love my classes and get some projects in with great sacrifices to wife and mother responsibilities. Unfortunately.

 These are samples of a line I made up in one of my classes for a licensing project. The design is tailored towards bags, backpacks, suitcases, and makeup baggies.  I used legs because it is a little weird and other people probably wouldn't do the same thing.

Meh. I most likely would not buy one, but it was fun anyway. All twelve hours of it.

(trooping through storms)

Behind every mommy in school there is a superhero called Daddy.

This is Jake.

He doesn't get enough credit for what he does every stinking day. 

Since I started school, he has single handedly done ALL the chores ,

ALL the cooking,

ALL the grocery shopping,

and watched Talia for six hours every other day.

Plus, he has his own schoolwork and classes to attend.

And yet, he makes me poster sized Valentine cards and little stuffed robots.

Thanks for saving me from the zombies, Jake.

Helloooo Baby

Now I understand why new moms only talk about baby related topics. What else is there to talk about?
Ahem.

 When Talia was born, I found that I had a Mom switch that was now suddenly "on". It mostly involved being OCD about diapers and clothing, and being able to hear/sense Talia 20 feet away. Also, Heavenly Father whispers in your ear a little more when one of His children arrives. It has been so cool to know he pays special attention to flustered and clueless parents who are desperately trying to calm a flailing infant.

 However, some effects of welcoming a baby were a total surprise and took some getting used to...
 2 weeks - feeling like a total couch potato because all you do is sleep and eat and feed that child.

1 month - same thing, except now there are other sounds coming from baby besides screaming.
2 months - first smile!! It's not an accident this time! And lots of blowouts (have many onesies and wipes on hand).
3 months - cut those fingernails or your baby will look like Frankenstein (and so will you).
 4 months - most of the hair around your neck  may or may not be ripped out.

In general, you smell like spit up and you might still look pregnant for a couple more months. But that's okay.
 Because there is an angel in the house. 






A shout out to all expecting mothers:

Have your baby in a hospital.

There are very, very few other places in the world that have respiratory teams in the proximity. Talia was rescued by such a team. However, they have many more resources available that may be critical to your baby's life.
Sure it's expensive and there are doctors everywhere, but it is definitely the safest route.
You just never know.

Yeah, I'm a mom.

So it has been two months, and I can now say I am a professional newborn caretaker.
A few things I learned as a mommy, and tips for those taking care of my daughter when I am away:

Patience

When Talia wakes up, no matter what you were doing before, put it out of your mind.
If you don't, then the process of feeding, burping, diaper changing, and cradling will seem forever long and get extremely frustrating.   Just accept that your present activity will be put on hold for an hour or two.

Attention to Detail

You know how on resume's this is always a good quality to look for? Well, I have learned the true value of such a characteristic. It prevents many a horrible thing; like rashes, messy spit ups, deafness and all nighters.

Enjoying the Moment

No matter how late it is, if I try to make Talia laugh, or watch her little hands, or simply be aware of what it feels like to hold her, everything gets much easier.

 

Also, thanks to Eli McCann I found a new hobby. Meet Suzie Longhorn.

p.s. Aside from asking stupid questions and getting hilarious answers, sometimes I answer people's questions seriously. It's like serving. The world. Yeah. :)

Her name is Talia

Two weeks after the crazy day, I will say this:

Labor was not so bad after the epidural.
My mom made it possible for me to survive the past few days.
Jake looks even more attractive holding our baby.

Thirty-seven and counting

Things I never thought of before pregnancy:

How much I like reading on my stomach.
How skinny some showers are.
What a luxury it is to reach (and see) my toes.
Taking running jumps into bed is actually quite a skill.
Sleeping through the night. What a blessing.
Runny eggs are a delight. Also off limits.
Sitting on a cushy couch also means I'm stranded there until someone helps me up.
Name choosing is stressful. Beyond belief.
People are really curious about pregnancies.
Half my closet will probably never fit me again.
Every walk is a long walk. (Down the hall, to the parking lot, the bathroom...)
I might start working out regularly. I like when my husband can give me piggybacks.

created by jacob haupt

Anyway, this preggo part is coming to an end pretty soon here.
It's kind of a terrifying relief
But like a friend said,
"Well, you get a baby out of it."

People are nice to the pregnant ones.

At the Beach House concert, I stood in the crowd for an hour, trying to seem invigorated and excited that one of our favorite bands was in slc. But all I could really think of was how my ankles felt like watermelons, that there was way too much body heat contributing to my own and that there was smoke wafting steadily into my face. I was too short to see anything, anyway.
Jake took note of my discomfort and graciously steered my far away from the listening crowd and into the outer rims of Pioneer Park.  We were standing there, looking for a somewhere, anywhere to sit. I no doubt had this I'm-about-to-die face on, because a couple girls came over and said we could have their picnic table.
I about cried with relief. At the moment, it seemed that no one had ever done anything nicer for me in my life.