Tuesday, March 31, 2009
new babies....
It's all happening....at once! Moorsgate has moved my release date up from November to late August (for mom's who may have more time for reading once their kids are back in school). While that is completely awesome it is also right around the corner and I have a lot to do between now and then to get it together! And, it just so happens that my DH and I have an application in with an adoption agency. I have a feeling that we could get a phonecall at any moment saying "we've got a baby, do you want her?" The answer will be an unequivocal "Yes!" I do know that traveling to promote a book/CD with a newborn could be tricky, but it is all good and I know that we will make it work!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
you say it's your earth day............
It appears that I haven't posted in a while. Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that we are in purgatory with the sleep situation! I have the docs advice in my back pocket for whenever I get desperate enough to pull it out(see previous post). For now, we are in a holding pattern!
I am excited that my publisher has designed a cover for my book! Things are moving along. I will post it here soon.
So, my birthday is this Saturday. Twenty-nine one more time, baby! My little man loves hoopla as much as his mom, so I will plan some kind of festivities for the family before I slip out for a GNO (girl's night out). I organized a private pole dancing party to do with my girlfriends. I cannot wait. Moms gone wild! Not really, but we can pretend! After that a couple guys, including my DH, will meet us for Earth Hour. We are one of the satellite cities for a worldwide "Earth Hour" program sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.. All "nonessential lighting" will be turned off for one hour. I am giving everyone in our group candles and we will go watch the lights go out on Broadway. Sweet Pea will be with his Granddaddy, I told them that we can consider their DVD movie "essential lighting" for babysitting night, but they will turn off the other lights in the house. If you'd like to join us, turn out your lights 3.28.09 from 8:30 to 9:30 your time wherever you are on the planet. For more info, please visit Earth Hour!
Friday, March 13, 2009
sweet dreams, baby!
Welcome back! This blogging thing is kind of fun. A mom's-book-club friend, who I saw tonight, advised that bloggers use a nickname for their child that he or she does not use in real life, in the unlikely but horrifying event that a lurker with not-so-good intentions sees your child in public and tries to lure them away using their name. Hence they will use a name the child does not know. So. I think I will refer to my darling boy simply as "Sweet Pea" for the time being. Yeah, his real name will be in the upcoming book, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it...a few "stranger danger" classes from now! Anyway, we just had our four-year checkup (10 percentile for height and weight, but that is okay according to the doctor--I don't have to have a football player, anyway). I was a little nervous telling the pediatrician about our sleep issues. I didn't want him to think I was being nutty; I think I already got pegged early on as an "anxious mom" because...I was! But, when you and your baby almost croak on delivery day, it tends to leave you a little apprehensive (more on that saga later). But, I was afraid the doc may think I was ridiculous for staying with my dear son until he fell asleep. Instead, he was completely unfazed.
I told the doctor, "We're having a hard time getting him to sleep"
"It's not your job to get him to sleep" he replied
"But, if we don't he keeps coming back downstairs" I protested
"Okay", he said with the confidence of someone who has four kids and has been doing this professionally for a while, "don't lay down with him anymore. You can sit on the edge of his bed until he falls asleep. If you go downstairs and he follows you, give him a warning that you are going to have to close him in his room if he comes out again. If he comes out again, hold the door from the other side for three to four minutes." (OMG, he will hate that!!!!)
"Then tell him if he lays back down in his bed, you will leave the door open," he said. "If he tries to come out again, hold the door closed for seven to ten minutes. If he does it again, then take away his night light" (sorry Doc, don't think I can do that) "and then if he does it again, take away his lovey." (sorry, don't think I can do that either).
I will start slow and do what i feel comfy with. Something's gotta give. The idea is to break him from us having to lay down with him every night. The doctor said not to sit next to him on the next night, but to sit in a chair next to the door instead, then maybe in the hallway, until he is broken of the habit. (Seems like I heard that technique on the show Super Nanny).
The pediatrician also said Sweet Pea is getting up and getting in our bed in the middle of the night because he is used to going to sleep with someone in the room, and that once he is used to going to sleep on his own, he will sleep through the night. Here comes my muddiness again: part of me likes him crawling into bed with us. As friends have pointed out, there will come a time when we will really wish he was still wanting to do that. Well, we can always have special occassions for that, but for now...I gots to get some sleep!
(And just now as I'm writing this, at 12:30 am, my Sweet Pea just came down the stairs and said in his most adorable voice "Hi, Mommy" and went and got in my bed. Move over Sweet Pea, here comes mama! ;))
I told the doctor, "We're having a hard time getting him to sleep"
"It's not your job to get him to sleep" he replied
"But, if we don't he keeps coming back downstairs" I protested
"Okay", he said with the confidence of someone who has four kids and has been doing this professionally for a while, "don't lay down with him anymore. You can sit on the edge of his bed until he falls asleep. If you go downstairs and he follows you, give him a warning that you are going to have to close him in his room if he comes out again. If he comes out again, hold the door from the other side for three to four minutes." (OMG, he will hate that!!!!)
"Then tell him if he lays back down in his bed, you will leave the door open," he said. "If he tries to come out again, hold the door closed for seven to ten minutes. If he does it again, then take away his night light" (sorry Doc, don't think I can do that) "and then if he does it again, take away his lovey." (sorry, don't think I can do that either).
I will start slow and do what i feel comfy with. Something's gotta give. The idea is to break him from us having to lay down with him every night. The doctor said not to sit next to him on the next night, but to sit in a chair next to the door instead, then maybe in the hallway, until he is broken of the habit. (Seems like I heard that technique on the show Super Nanny).
The pediatrician also said Sweet Pea is getting up and getting in our bed in the middle of the night because he is used to going to sleep with someone in the room, and that once he is used to going to sleep on his own, he will sleep through the night. Here comes my muddiness again: part of me likes him crawling into bed with us. As friends have pointed out, there will come a time when we will really wish he was still wanting to do that. Well, we can always have special occassions for that, but for now...I gots to get some sleep!
(And just now as I'm writing this, at 12:30 am, my Sweet Pea just came down the stairs and said in his most adorable voice "Hi, Mommy" and went and got in my bed. Move over Sweet Pea, here comes mama! ;))
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A blog is born
Greetings! Why "Mud Mama" you ask? No, I am not one of those bikini clad, platinum blonde, hair pulling chicks wrestling in a tub of wet dirt. I am an earth mother watered down (somewhere between tailgating the Grateful Dead with your kids in a 1970s VW bus and carpooling them, in full makeup à la Stepford wives, to soccer practice in an SUV) ... hence the MUD MAMA reference!
I recently completed writing a parenting memoir titled A JOURNEY TO THE SON. It is my true-life tale of emotionally preparing for motherhood (as a "motherless daughter"), space-aged fertility, perilous pregnancy, a near-death birth experience and a difficult aftermath. Today was an exciting day because I got to sit down for the first time with the fine folks at Cold Tree/Moorsgate Press, which will publish and release the book this fall. Jim (my husband/PR man) and I really enjoyed meeting Peter (CEO) and Rachel (editor). They were both bright, down to earth and very enthusiastic. I feel that I am in great hands to help get this "baby" out into the world!
Aside from being the busy mommy of an active four year-old son, I am a singer/songwriter and actress. I'm currently completing a CD, also titled A Journey to the Son, a folk-rock opera concept which closely follows subject matter within the book. It's a collaboration with my songwriting partner/producer, Don Henry.
My hope is that Mud Mama becomes a place where women, regardless of where they stand on the earth mother scale, come to share their stories, philosophies, tips, and all things pertaining to motherhood. Embracing the Goddesses we all are!
I would love to blog away more today, but I had very little sleep last night as our little man crawled into our bed in the middle of the night last night(a new habit) and proceeded to kick and (accidentally) punch me in the face through the wee hours of the morning (felt like eternity!) This has been an issue since he has outgrown his baby gate and can come and go from his room as he pleases. Part of my whole "muddiness" wonders...do I order him out of the bed, or embrace the "groovy" family bed philosophy. But, a girl's gotta get some sleep! Aahh, the quandries continue! Here is my middle of the road approach. We put him to bed in his room around 8 PM so we can have a little time to ourselves, hold his hand until he falls to sleep (I know, I know!) then he will come down mid-nightish and I usually find it easier to let him just stay in bed then to do the back and forth dance of putting him back in bed/him getting out repeatedly. Most nights it works out ok but last night was not one of those nights!
We have his four-year appt. with the pediatrician tomorrow, we'll see what kind of feedback we get about the sleep issue. To be continued!
I recently completed writing a parenting memoir titled A JOURNEY TO THE SON. It is my true-life tale of emotionally preparing for motherhood (as a "motherless daughter"), space-aged fertility, perilous pregnancy, a near-death birth experience and a difficult aftermath. Today was an exciting day because I got to sit down for the first time with the fine folks at Cold Tree/Moorsgate Press, which will publish and release the book this fall. Jim (my husband/PR man) and I really enjoyed meeting Peter (CEO) and Rachel (editor). They were both bright, down to earth and very enthusiastic. I feel that I am in great hands to help get this "baby" out into the world!
Aside from being the busy mommy of an active four year-old son, I am a singer/songwriter and actress. I'm currently completing a CD, also titled A Journey to the Son, a folk-rock opera concept which closely follows subject matter within the book. It's a collaboration with my songwriting partner/producer, Don Henry.
My hope is that Mud Mama becomes a place where women, regardless of where they stand on the earth mother scale, come to share their stories, philosophies, tips, and all things pertaining to motherhood. Embracing the Goddesses we all are!
I would love to blog away more today, but I had very little sleep last night as our little man crawled into our bed in the middle of the night last night(a new habit) and proceeded to kick and (accidentally) punch me in the face through the wee hours of the morning (felt like eternity!) This has been an issue since he has outgrown his baby gate and can come and go from his room as he pleases. Part of my whole "muddiness" wonders...do I order him out of the bed, or embrace the "groovy" family bed philosophy. But, a girl's gotta get some sleep! Aahh, the quandries continue! Here is my middle of the road approach. We put him to bed in his room around 8 PM so we can have a little time to ourselves, hold his hand until he falls to sleep (I know, I know!) then he will come down mid-nightish and I usually find it easier to let him just stay in bed then to do the back and forth dance of putting him back in bed/him getting out repeatedly. Most nights it works out ok but last night was not one of those nights!
We have his four-year appt. with the pediatrician tomorrow, we'll see what kind of feedback we get about the sleep issue. To be continued!
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