From the category archives:

a few of my favorite posts

the truth about motherhood.

by @according2kelly on July 9, 2009

going on month number two in little charlie’s life, i still find myself pretty much housebound. that’s right, i haven’t quite gotten the hang of taking three kids out on the town. & as much as i’d prefer to be crafting, holding my little baby, doesn’t leave much time for projects. so, these days i find myself watching lots of tv. did you happen to catch oprah’s the truth about motherhood episode? maybe it’s just the stage (of life) i’m in right now, but i swear the entire show was the extension of an on-going conversation playing inside my head. everything they said, i could totally relate to… “oprah is saluting moms everywhere and letting them know they have support. ‘we hear from mothers all the time who say they feel alone. they feel overwhelmed; they feel sometimes inadequate. and you say you’re afraid to admit the truth for fear of bing judge,” oprah says. ‘so today we’re creating a judgment-free zone, a sisterhood of motherhood where anything goes.”

when they said “the expectations we have on ourselves is completely unrealistic. this generation of women was raised to believe that we should and could do it all… and that list (of expectations) is so huge that we think if we can’t live up to that, then we’re not good moms.” i wanted to shout: AMEN! & i couldn’t agree more with the idea that “the one universal truth about motherhood seems to be that no one ever tells you what to really expect.” so, today, i too am “creating a judgment-free zone, a sisterhood of motherhood where anything goes”. & although i LOVE being a mom, (i really, really do!), sometimes, i wish i had been more prepared for motherhood, if you know what i mean. so, here are some of the truths about motherhood, that no one remembered to tell me. maybe someone else can benefit, or possibly at least relate…

* every woman doesn’t LOVE being prego. there definitely are some women who do, but i wasn’t one of them. i hated getting fat, i never had that “pregnancy glow”. all in all, pregnancy isn’t exactly my favorite stage in life.
* recovery AFTER the delivery can sometimes be harder, and worse, than the actual delivery. (i was put on bed rest for 6 weeks after i had gavin.)
* stay in the hospital as long as possible. you might be bored & lonely, but when you go home, you’re on your own. at least in the hospital you can call a nurse for help.
* i must not have paid very good attention during health class, because i did not realize i would bleed for weeks. (a bit personal, i know, but a truth about motherhood that i did not know.)
* breastfeeding might be natural, but it is definitely NOT easy & often times it can be painful
* hemorrhoids, ‘nuf said!
* your boobs will never be perfect again… they’ll get super huge (& probably painful while engorged), & then they’ll shrink down, practically becoming indentations.
* just because you carried the baby for nine months, doesn’t mean you can soothe & quiet them when they are screaming bloody murder, for hours & hours on end.
* sometimes, you’ll go days without showering. a pony tail will become your new ‘do, a hat your new best friend, & you can go hours without realizing you haven’t eaten anything.
* finding the energy & time to do all the things you “used” to do isn’t going to be easy
* sleeping more than 2 hours in a row should be considered a luxury
* getting the time & energy to clean the house, fold the laundry, or load the dishwasher will make you feel like you’ve won the lottery
* counting the number of wet & dirty diapers will become your new hobby
* you’ll find yourself thinking “of a day as units of time, each unit consisting of no more than thirty minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating and most activities take about half an hour. Taking a bath: one unit, watching countdown: one unit, web-based research: two units, exercising: three units, having my hair carefully disheveled: four units. It’s amazing how the day fills up. (especially when you are feeding the baby every 6 units!)”via about a boy.
* in the end, holding your little baby, seeing them smile, hearing them laugh… will make you forget everything else, as though it never happened, & make you willing to possibly, do it all over again.
edited to add:
* i always knew i was going to breastfeed, i just was never prepared for how much i could (and would) leak. i didn’t realize that i could soak through my shirt, even while wearing a nursing pad.
* i wasn’t prepared for being man-handled by everyone. i didn’t realize that i would also get used to totally strangers grabbing & “feeling up” my boobs.

so, your turn. what are some of the truths about motherhood that you wished someone had told you? what’s the real scoop on motherhood?

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singing charlie into the world.

by @according2kelly on May 14, 2009

my gal pal, let’s call her “c” for anonymity’s sake, is the ultimate party planner. construction themed birthday parties (complete with dirt cupcakes) & winter parties involving an incredible hot chocolate bar, just to describe a few of her past soirees. so, when i requested an unconventional baby shower, she didn’t even bat an eye. instead of making me & all the other guests play “guess mom’s tummy size” or “name that baby food,” we sang our little hearts out. that’s right! we celebrated charlie’s impending arrival into this world at a korean karaoke studio. (i didn’t realize places like this actually existed outside of the movie lost in translation, let alone my own hometown suburbia.) the evening consisted of good friends, good food & lots of songs involving the words baby & girl. for those of you who missed out on the fun, & those of you in attendance that want to re-live the night, here’s a 3 minute & 38 second recap. & i apologize in advance for the quality…. but, the room was dark with a strobe light, which made it hard to video tape. plus, it’ll help protect the identity of the singer’s, even if just a little bit.

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she’s done cooking.

by @according2kelly on May 5, 2009

almost every day for the past nine months, gavin has asked the same question “is the baby done cooking yet?” after months of anticipation & preparation, we can finally answer “YES!” but, if you’ve been following me on twitter, you probably already knew that. (missed the play-by-play action? you can catch up on all the recent happenings HERE.) anyway, without further ado, i’m pleased to introduce you to our little bundle of joy…

charlie (charlotte) mae. born saturday, may 2, 2009. 2:20 pm. 7 lbs. & 19 inches.

the boys are already smitten with her (as are we!), so it looks like we are going to keep her. & i might be a tad biased, but one look at her chubby cheeks, button nose, rosebud lips & mini fro-hawk and i can pretty much guarantee – she will melt your heart.

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a play on words.

by @according2kelly on February 5, 2009


what do you get when you combine a t-shirt, a little dye, some home-made stencils & a spritz of household cleaner? the perfect birthday present for a gal who likes to “make stuff”.

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an angel among us.

by @according2kelly on October 27, 2008

i was a junior in high school, and life was busy… i was junior class president. i was playing varsity tennis. i had a boyfriend, who had just swept me off my feet, & taken me to disneyland for the day. i had recently turned 16, gotten my drivers license & a car. my hair was finally growing out from an especially unattractive & short haircut. what can i say? life was nearly perfect. my biggest worries in life revolved around AP exams, term papers & deciding on the prom theme.

one evening that november, my parents called a family meeting. usually these meetings revolved around our then-flourishing tennis careers… determining tournament schedules, setting up practice matches, discussing “strategy”. however, this family discussion was much more serious than my brothers, sister & i could ever have been prepared for. words like cancer & chemotherapy were involved. tears were shed, people were angry, and lots of questions were asked. over the next several weeks, months & (luckily) years, we had several more family meetings. & unfortunately, those words that had brought so much sadness to our lives that fateful day, had quickly become part our daily vocabulary.

after many, many treatments, several surgeries & five and half years later, my father passed away after a long & hard battle with melanoma cancer. for my mother, however, her battle has continued on. over the last several years, she has organized an annual golf tournament, which has raised over $600,000 to support melanoma research at the john wayne cancer institute. my mom often says “i’ve always felt like they (jwci) kept him alive for five extra years. when he was diagnosed, they gave him six months to live. kerry, our daughter, was only four years old, so five extra years wan a lifetime to her. this is my way of giving back.”

last week, my mom was honored by the jwci’s auxiliary. they bestowed upon her their most prestigious honor, the “angel award”. congratulations mom! we’ve always known, but now the world knows as well… you definitely are an “angel among us.”

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twofer.

by @according2kelly on October 15, 2008

here’s a sneak peak at a custom apron i just sent out. besides being one of absolutely favorite apron patterns, i love that it’s reversible… a twofer. hope she enjoys.

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true-life confessions.

by @according2kelly on August 13, 2008

  • i never went to bed last night. i ended up working late into the night, by the time i was finished it was 4:30. knowing 2 hours of sleep would be worse for me than no sleep, i got dressed & went to the early morning spin class.
  • i have been a total slacker lately, when it comes to blog comments. so, please! if you’ve left me a comment lately, & i haven’t responded yet, don’t hate me, or think i’m ignoring you… i’m just being lazy.
  • i haven’t cooked dinner for the two weeks.
  • i haven’t gone to the grocery store in over three weeks.
  • sometime during the week i ran out of shampoo… i had already gone one day (or so) without washing my hair, so i needed to do something. the baby powder smelling puppy shampoo was the best thing i could come up with. you bet i used it, & my hair has never smelled better.
  • my mortgage went up $800 this month… that hurts.
  • i think i need a vacation.
  • i didn’t make it to the gym yesterday. instead i ate an entire bag of circus peanuts.
  • i spaced the zip code on my swap package, so it came back to me. so i ended up sending out my package a day late. opps!
  • i think i’ve officially “let myself go”. last week, i wore a hat nearly every day, & my mom asked me if i ever do anything with my hair other than the princess leia buns i’ve been sporting lately.
  • i’m still driving with my spare tire because i’m too lazy, & don’t want to spend the money, to get it fixed.
  • up until yesterday, i had been to the eye doctor for about 2 years. unable to get new contacts, i’ve just been stealing jeffy’s.
  • i hate the word moist & the taste, or lack of taste, of water.
  • i haven’t relapsed yet. that’s a good thing, i think…

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notes to self.

by @according2kelly on June 16, 2008

next time you’re expecting company, be sure to empty the trash in the guest bathroom, it’ll save you some embarrassment later.

next time someone emails, asking you to meet them at the beach, instead of just skimming the email, really take the 2 minutes it will take to actually read the email. hopefully, that will prevent you from spending all your parking money, unloading your beach chair, water cooler, two small children & walking a half mile before you realize that maybe, you’re at the wrong beach, and having to pack it up again.

and finally,next time you attempt to apply make-up while in-route (which is not a normal event, it just so happens that i was late to church, where i was supposed to be leading the children in singing our father’s day medley for the congregation). anyway, next time this happens, be sure to put mascara on BOTH eyes, & be sure to do a final glance-over, looking for possible mascara smudges (say across the bridge of your nose). at least that way, when everyone is smiling at you as you walk back to your seat, it won’t be because they are silently laughing at you.

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it’s been an "alexander" type of day.

by @according2kelly on April 17, 2008

lately i’ve been fighting the blues. i just kinda feel like i’m slowly drowning. but i try not to let it show… that’s what i do, what i’ve always done. i like to build a wall or fortress around myself, slowly shutting out friends, family & the world. i can feel it happening. so i’m trying hard to combat it. each and every day i wake up & try to put on a brave face. i try to think of all the things i’m grateful for, for all of the wonderful blessings and opportunities i have & have had throughout my life. and most days i manage to come out on top. but not today.

this morning i woke up early, after a completely unrestful night of sleep. during my morning run my nano was unsuccessful in performing it’s one duty: helping me zone out. instead of jamming to my tunes, my mind was filled with thought & worries… mostly revolving around the fact that my job, that provides our only source of income, is more than likely going to be “cut back”. sure i’ll still have a job, but my pay & hours are going to be cut in half. super great! but i was also worried and wondering about jeffy & his newest business venture, as well as the trials and tribulations of several of our close friends and family.

after dealing all morning with two cranky little boys i brilliantly decide to cut my own bangs – yeah, not one of my brightest ideas ever. later on, gavin conveniently forgot that we (& i say “we” because everyone knows it definitely is a group effort) were potty training, & decided to go in his underwear. he did remember to tell me that he was stinky, so i guess that’s better than nothing.

i made a quick trip down to the post office. (why is it always so busy?) thinking i was smart, i waited in the line to use the automated machine, only to reach the front of the line & realize that my packages were too big. so then i had to go get in line once again. i then drove down to an out-of-the-way yarn shop, hoping to pick a few pointers from a crochet guru. unfortunately, no one in the entire store, knew how to crochet. they were all knitters, but they suggested i could come back tonight.

i got home from my errands. walked in the door & looked in the mirror for the first time since the bang incident & realized i totally had raccoon eyes. (mental note… i really need to find a new mascara. recently my BADgal just doesn’t seem to be doing the job anymore.) i then started getting dinner ready, i was taking dinner over to a girlfriend who just had a baby. about halfway through my preparations i realized i hadn’t gotten enough cream of chicken soup. i knocked on all my neighbor’s doors, & came up empty-handed. so, i’m crossing my fingers hoping dinner tasted okay. while dinner was cooking, gavin once again had to use the “facilities”. unfortunately, he didn’t quite make it in time, so he left a big puddle in the bathroom (at least he made that far, that’s progress). however, owen, being the typical younger brother that he is, was quick to follow gavin. he stepped in the puddle, & then slipped and fell into it. while i was cleaning up the mess, owen must have decided that my cell phone needed a bath because i found him washing it in the sink. in the meantime, gavin tried to flush owen’s paci down the toilet – luckily i caught him in time.

we arrived home from delivering our dinner, a very pleasant car trip, complete with screaming children & my two year old crying out “what the hell”. (okay seriously, i don’t say it that often.) our dinner was a big hit… both boys dumped their entire plates on the ground. gavin wanted chocolate milk in his new spiderman cup (the one i bought without realizing it didn’t have a lid), so it really came as no surprise when owen turned it upside – yet another puddle to clean up. by 7:30 pm i was ready to put both kids in bed (something that doesn’t usually happen until at least 8 pm, & that’s on a good day).

so just like alexander, i’ve had a terrible, horrile, no good, very bad day. i think maybe, i’ll move to australia.

on the bright side… chelsey brought me a candle that smells mm! mm! good. okay, so i guess it wasn’t all bad.

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it’ll be jeffy, me & amy in the bedroom tonight.

by @according2kelly on February 27, 2008

that’s because i’ve finally finished my quilt. i started it forever ago. i can’t believe it’s finally finished! to be honest, it was a snap to sew the quilt top. i used the turning twenty pattern & just added an extra row or two (i wanted it to fit our king size bed. so instead of a quilt that measures 70″ x 86″ mine is 84″ x 117″). next came the easy part, dropping it off for my cousin to do the machine quilting with all the lovely loop-d-loops (which i’m sure have a proper name, although being the novice quilter that i am… i’ll just stick with loop d loops). when i got my quilt back, all that was left, was for me to the binding, & yet i just never got around to it. i needed to cut my fabric on the bias to get the diagonal lines for my binding, & i didn’t know how to do that. (so that was my excuse.) but really & truly, i just wasn’t looking forward to hand stitching the back side of the binding (you know, after i attached the front side with the machine). so for months my beautiful quilt sat. but not anymore! i can finally proudly announce to the world that it’s finished! and although my bedroom has never been the hot spot of the house tour, i may soon be inviting complete strangers up to check out my new little beauty. if he doesn’t already, i’m sure the ups guy will soon love amy butler as much as i do! anyway, i know i’m being silly, going on & on. heck! it’s just a quilt… but i feel like a proud mama, wanting to show everyone her brand new little bundle of joy. so, everyone, meet my quilt. it’s so bright & cheery – just like a little bit of sunshine in my room. (click on the pictures to enlarge their loveliness.)

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