And I'd love your input!
Which prints do you think I should order for a new kollection of koos?
#1: "I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike"
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
we whistle while we work
Some freshly made bunnies, bears and Pig 2.0.
This crew is now en route to my new friends at Kennedy Crawford Design in North Vancouver.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Beautiful objects for sunny days ahead
Once again, I find myself browsing the web for beautiful novelties....I invite you to gaze upon these lovelies and become smitten....
handmade map letters found here
Adorable Fabric buttons found here
Orla Kiely Radio: yes yes yes!
Danish Vases from Urban Butik
handmade map letters found here
Adorable Fabric buttons found here
Orla Kiely Radio: yes yes yes!
Danish Vases from Urban Butik
Virginia Johnson baby quilts
Retro Orla teapot
Chalkboard globe spotted on DesignSponge
TGIF! Have a great weekend :-)
TGIF! Have a great weekend :-)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The light snow brings
HELLO Snow Day!
We attempted to drive down to Victoria at the usual time this morning, only to find once we reached the highway that traffic was at a standstill and winter is in fact still here. So we turned back for home but not before stopping at a bakery for croissants and lattes :)
Our house normally doesn't get a huge amount of natural light suitable for interior photos, but I couldn't miss this opportunity today.....the white stuff outside brings all the light in!
So Scott is getting some work done at our dining table and I have changed out of my work clothes and into some lulus and I'm just generally enjoying the cozy factor. Sadie and I had some eggs and toast for lunch and now she's toting her doll stroller up and down the stairs. I love how she always picks the safest of activities. Time to sew up some bunnies....and then play in the snow!
(p.s. our coffee table is an old 70s relic that we found abandoned out in our shed when we moved into our house. Resurrection!!! I think it has a Danish mod vibe, but maybe it's actually just hideous.)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday night
Been a really busy week....wishing I had more time to spend here lately...
But I found this on Pinterest and reminded myself to slow down a bit....
Have a great week everyone.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Love is in the air
A few pretty pictures to put you in the mood...
Strawberry heart marshmallows by OhYum
Watermelon hearts seen on Pinterest
Pepperoni heart pizza seen on Pinterest
I also love these EmersonMade signature Ts! If I knew I was having another girl you can bet I'd be ordering all three for next year.
Strawberry heart marshmallows by OhYum
Watermelon hearts seen on Pinterest
Pepperoni heart pizza seen on Pinterest
I also love these EmersonMade signature Ts! If I knew I was having another girl you can bet I'd be ordering all three for next year.
Mama size.......
Toddler size......
Infant size.......
cute, cuter, cutest!!
Toddler size......
cute, cuter, cutest!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Part 2: Doula Danger continues
Let's pick up where I left off in the previous post, shall we?
Right. Jan was rubbing my back as I leaned over the hospital bed, resting on my forearms. Scott was on the other side of the bed, holding my hands and encouraging me through each contraction. "You're doing great, just breathe, 10....9.....8.....7....6......5.....4......3......2......1......BReeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaathhhhhhhheeeee....."
Unfortunately his face was a little too close to mine at this time and I had no patience for his not-so-fresh breath. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hissed through clenched teeth: "YOU NEED A MINT." These are the only words I remember uttering to my husband during the entire labour and birth. HAHA! How messed up is that?! Luckily, I must have put the fear of God in him because he wasted no time tending to his case of halitosis.
At this point I am now on the laughing gas and thinking, okay, screw what I said about a drug free birth - I am seriously reconsidering the Epidural, like NOW. But before it got to that point I was whisked into the operating room for a C-Section. Background: At some point during my labour I announced to the nurses and Jan that "I think my water just broke." At which point they got all excited and had a look and their pleased expressions quickly turned to grave concern. I had, what was later revealed to be, a placental abruption (read: copious amounts of the red stuff). Those of you who have been pregnant before and read anything about major complications, you know this is one of them. Long story short though, everyone ended up happy and healthy. Back to the crazy doula.....
So, C-Section. So, bye-bye doula. I mean, obviously these things can't be predicted, but of course a doula is not even present for the birth if you're having a section. I think she stuck around in the waiting room until Sadie was born, then wished us all well and v a n i s h e d .
Now, based on the obsessive attention she had been giving me up until our baby was born, I truly expected a call from her the next morning to check in. But the next morning came and went, and the next day, and the day after that. (We are still in the hospital at this point, and Sadie and I are having difficulties figuring out the whole feeding thing.) WE NEEDED HELP. Jan had promised us breast-feeding support and yada yada yada. SHE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. Our ticket out of the hospital was dependent on my ability to successfully feed Sadie, or the proof that we had someone who could offer help when needed, ie. the person we had hired to do this very thing. So I was calling her over and over and leaving desperate messages on her answering machine to just show her face to the nurses and pledge that she would be there to help us once we were home. Finally I got in touch. She reluctantly agreed to come visit us at the hospital. Sorry for the inconvenience Jan.
She shows up looking rather disheveled and spacy. She is limping and says she is having hip troubles because of her car accident and will require another stint in the hospital herself. I told her I was not having much success breast-feeding and that my precious newborn was hungry. Her attempts to help me get Sadie "on the boob" were down right ridiculous. I wanted to swat her away like fly. It was really like she had never even seen anyone breastfeed before let alone assisted in the process. I was going MENTAL. The nurses had a baby scale in our room because we would often weigh Sadie to see if she had in fact gotten any milk. At one point it was only Scott, Jan, myself and Sadie in the room and Scott suggested we put her on the scale - an instrument we figured someone who had claimed to have worked in a Mother-Babe ward for 15 years would know how to operate. Too bad, so sad. She had no idea how to work it and Scott ended up figuring it out.
At this point, I am thinking "Jan, your work here is done. Be on your way. The nurses have seen you and are under the impression that you will be there for us, but really - you are no longer of any use to us. GET OUT." Only my problem is I can't actually say things like this out loud to people. I know, I KNOW! I must become more assertive.
Unfortunately, Jan decides to stick around afterall and begins chattering inanely. Scott takes this as his cue to turn on an episode of Deadliest Catch on the portable DVD player and tune out. At which point Jan begins telling me how her daughter was at a Christian youth group the night before and the leader asked if anyone knew of someone they could pray for and sing a song about. Jan's daughter, whom we've never met, apparently says that a little baby girl named Sadie has just been born and could everyone pray for her and dedicate a song about Jesus to her. Jan then proceeds to sing a few verses of the song to me and demonstrate how everyone held up their hands and danced.
Um.
So here I am in my hospital room invisioning a possibly evangelical group of strangers singing a song in honour of my 4-day old child. Sure, some would call it a thoughtful gesture, I mean, I know she meant well. But at the time, in my particular state, I called it wackadoo. Now - before you start thinking I am anti-religion or anything - please don't. I absolutely appreciate and respect a person's right to his or her own belief system. It's simply that religion is not something I grew up with myself. So I can't really say that faith plays a large role in my life. Faith in a higher power, yes. Faith in specific stories about specific religious figures, not so much. What my children decide to put their faith in when they're grown is for them to decide. BUT FOR NOW, at a few days old, I just wasn't comfortable with ANY religion being associated with my daughter. Call me hormonal, or whatever. I don't know. How would you react?
I am trying to get Scott's attention and somehow make it clear to Jan that she may be excused and that I need to rest. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, she was gone.
We never heard from her again, and her doula website has been shut down and her name removed from all of the local doula directories. I really have no idea what happened or what was up with her. A part of me suspects she was a faker and a nutjob, and that she had no real training and thought that this might be a good way to make some money. But another part of me thinks she actually was a certified doula, but that our paths crossed at a time when she was facing some seriously difficult issues in her life that she just couldn't prevent from ultimately invading her professional life as well. If that's the case, then of course I do feel sympathy for her.....but at the same time, I didn't really sign up for that kind of doula baggage. I would have much rather she was honest with us and when the going was getting tough simply explained that due to personal issues she couldn't carry out her committment to us and if we could kindly find another doula that would be appreciated. Hey, NO PROBLEM.
But instead, this is our doula story.
Disclaimer: I still think doulas are a wonderful resource for women who want a little extra support during childbirth. And like any profession, there are good ones and there are not so good ones. Hiring a doula could be the best decision you ever make surrounding your labour and delivery experience.....or it could be, as in our case, one of the worst. Do you have any doula tales to share with me? I would love to hear them! And what is your conclusion? Was Jan a phony?
Right. Jan was rubbing my back as I leaned over the hospital bed, resting on my forearms. Scott was on the other side of the bed, holding my hands and encouraging me through each contraction. "You're doing great, just breathe, 10....9.....8.....7....6......5.....4......3......2......1......BReeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaathhhhhhhheeeee....."
Unfortunately his face was a little too close to mine at this time and I had no patience for his not-so-fresh breath. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hissed through clenched teeth: "YOU NEED A MINT." These are the only words I remember uttering to my husband during the entire labour and birth. HAHA! How messed up is that?! Luckily, I must have put the fear of God in him because he wasted no time tending to his case of halitosis.
At this point I am now on the laughing gas and thinking, okay, screw what I said about a drug free birth - I am seriously reconsidering the Epidural, like NOW. But before it got to that point I was whisked into the operating room for a C-Section. Background: At some point during my labour I announced to the nurses and Jan that "I think my water just broke." At which point they got all excited and had a look and their pleased expressions quickly turned to grave concern. I had, what was later revealed to be, a placental abruption (read: copious amounts of the red stuff). Those of you who have been pregnant before and read anything about major complications, you know this is one of them. Long story short though, everyone ended up happy and healthy. Back to the crazy doula.....
So, C-Section. So, bye-bye doula. I mean, obviously these things can't be predicted, but of course a doula is not even present for the birth if you're having a section. I think she stuck around in the waiting room until Sadie was born, then wished us all well and v a n i s h e d .
Now, based on the obsessive attention she had been giving me up until our baby was born, I truly expected a call from her the next morning to check in. But the next morning came and went, and the next day, and the day after that. (We are still in the hospital at this point, and Sadie and I are having difficulties figuring out the whole feeding thing.) WE NEEDED HELP. Jan had promised us breast-feeding support and yada yada yada. SHE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. Our ticket out of the hospital was dependent on my ability to successfully feed Sadie, or the proof that we had someone who could offer help when needed, ie. the person we had hired to do this very thing. So I was calling her over and over and leaving desperate messages on her answering machine to just show her face to the nurses and pledge that she would be there to help us once we were home. Finally I got in touch. She reluctantly agreed to come visit us at the hospital. Sorry for the inconvenience Jan.
She shows up looking rather disheveled and spacy. She is limping and says she is having hip troubles because of her car accident and will require another stint in the hospital herself. I told her I was not having much success breast-feeding and that my precious newborn was hungry. Her attempts to help me get Sadie "on the boob" were down right ridiculous. I wanted to swat her away like fly. It was really like she had never even seen anyone breastfeed before let alone assisted in the process. I was going MENTAL. The nurses had a baby scale in our room because we would often weigh Sadie to see if she had in fact gotten any milk. At one point it was only Scott, Jan, myself and Sadie in the room and Scott suggested we put her on the scale - an instrument we figured someone who had claimed to have worked in a Mother-Babe ward for 15 years would know how to operate. Too bad, so sad. She had no idea how to work it and Scott ended up figuring it out.
At this point, I am thinking "Jan, your work here is done. Be on your way. The nurses have seen you and are under the impression that you will be there for us, but really - you are no longer of any use to us. GET OUT." Only my problem is I can't actually say things like this out loud to people. I know, I KNOW! I must become more assertive.
Unfortunately, Jan decides to stick around afterall and begins chattering inanely. Scott takes this as his cue to turn on an episode of Deadliest Catch on the portable DVD player and tune out. At which point Jan begins telling me how her daughter was at a Christian youth group the night before and the leader asked if anyone knew of someone they could pray for and sing a song about. Jan's daughter, whom we've never met, apparently says that a little baby girl named Sadie has just been born and could everyone pray for her and dedicate a song about Jesus to her. Jan then proceeds to sing a few verses of the song to me and demonstrate how everyone held up their hands and danced.
Um.
So here I am in my hospital room invisioning a possibly evangelical group of strangers singing a song in honour of my 4-day old child. Sure, some would call it a thoughtful gesture, I mean, I know she meant well. But at the time, in my particular state, I called it wackadoo. Now - before you start thinking I am anti-religion or anything - please don't. I absolutely appreciate and respect a person's right to his or her own belief system. It's simply that religion is not something I grew up with myself. So I can't really say that faith plays a large role in my life. Faith in a higher power, yes. Faith in specific stories about specific religious figures, not so much. What my children decide to put their faith in when they're grown is for them to decide. BUT FOR NOW, at a few days old, I just wasn't comfortable with ANY religion being associated with my daughter. Call me hormonal, or whatever. I don't know. How would you react?
I am trying to get Scott's attention and somehow make it clear to Jan that she may be excused and that I need to rest. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, she was gone.
We never heard from her again, and her doula website has been shut down and her name removed from all of the local doula directories. I really have no idea what happened or what was up with her. A part of me suspects she was a faker and a nutjob, and that she had no real training and thought that this might be a good way to make some money. But another part of me thinks she actually was a certified doula, but that our paths crossed at a time when she was facing some seriously difficult issues in her life that she just couldn't prevent from ultimately invading her professional life as well. If that's the case, then of course I do feel sympathy for her.....but at the same time, I didn't really sign up for that kind of doula baggage. I would have much rather she was honest with us and when the going was getting tough simply explained that due to personal issues she couldn't carry out her committment to us and if we could kindly find another doula that would be appreciated. Hey, NO PROBLEM.
But instead, this is our doula story.
Disclaimer: I still think doulas are a wonderful resource for women who want a little extra support during childbirth. And like any profession, there are good ones and there are not so good ones. Hiring a doula could be the best decision you ever make surrounding your labour and delivery experience.....or it could be, as in our case, one of the worst. Do you have any doula tales to share with me? I would love to hear them! And what is your conclusion? Was Jan a phony?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Doula Danger: A Cautionary Tale (Part 1)
Okay, so don't be alarmed if this blog takes on a bit of a pregnancy theme over the next few months.....it has in the past, and it is bound to happen again. I'm currently entering my second trimester and although I'm still r i d i c u l o u s l y tired all the time, the morning/all day sickness seems to be easing up.
This time around the lead up to the birth will be a little different.....I'll be scheduled for a C-section so it will be pretty weird to know in advance the exact time that he or she will enter the world. Not to mention that last time the decision to do a C-section happened so fast that I really didn't have time to process the whole "cut open my abdomen and take out a human" concept. THIS TIME, I will have had ample opportunities to play out how the whole thing is going to go down....and know that my projection is (maybe, hopefully) pretty accurate (unlike first deliveries where you think you might have a plan, and honey, you better not bother because that plan has a 99% chance of being thrown out the window). I look back at my naive, post-childbirth self. I really thought I would have a natural, drug-free delivery. Um, SUCKER. I would have had better odds of delivering a flying monkey.
When I was about 7 months pregnant with Sadie I suddenly panicked and realized that maybe my husband was not the only support I needed in the delivery room. I wanted to go as drug free as possible and questioned my own will-power. We decided to interview a few doulas (labour coaches) with the hopes that we would find a good fit - someone who had gone through the labour and delivery experience themselves and would be skilled in providing the mental and physical support to both Scott and I during the whole "episode."
We ended up hiring the first doula we interviewed. Her services promised 24 hour access to contacting her by phone in the weeks leading up to my due date, support during labour and delivery, and post-partum breast-feeding support, as well as light help around the house, if needed.
Let's call her Jan (not her real name). I have to admit that I got a bit of an uneasy vibe from our first meeting, but because we were feeling the pressure of an imminent due date, we maybe rushed into things a bit.
Jan told us that yes, she did in fact have a child herself, a fifteen year-old daughter. So that satisfied our requirement that she could fully understand the sensation of labour and delivery. However, it later became apparent that her daughter was of a different race than she was (which is obviously not a concern in itself, but makes the whole biological parent thing a little questionable). We were a little surprised but figured maybe she was of mixed race. But in actual fact she had been adopted and Jan had failed to elaborate on this detail when we asked her if she had had any children herself. So the intentional misleading in order to get the job was our first red flag.
Then the harassment began. The hourly phone calls. Asking the same questions over and over. "Are you feeling any 'twinges'?" "No, Jan. For the fortieth time, I'm not feeling anything yet. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT ONE." Then Jan started telling Scott and I that she felt really connected to us, something she didn't feel with most of her clients. She also told us that she had been a nurse in the Mother/Babe ward of a local hospital for fifteen years. And of course, she came with all the (supposed) credentials of a certified doula, as well as references (which we never checked, because I am a fairly trusting person).
Scott often tells me that I am one of those people that stranges like to open up to and pour out their soul. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I admit that it has happened several times. I suddenly find myself getting an earful about the general sagas of people I hardly know. Jan began doing this. She called me one day and I casually asked how she was doing and she said, "oh.....you know...." and there was clearly something she was holding back. So I may have said something along the lines of "is everything ok?"
Jan: "Well actually, I was in a car accident and my car is a write-off."
Me: "OH MY GOD. WHAT?! ARE YOU OKAY?"
Jan: "Ummm....well I was in the hospital overnight and I'm pretty banged up. I was thrown from the vehicle and rolled across the road. They had to cut my pants off me and the first thing that came to my mind is 'what underwear am I wearing'."
Me: "OH MY GOD. Is your family giving you some TLC."
Jan: "Well, no, not really."
Me: "Why not? Where is your husband?"
uh-oh.
Jan: "Um, well actually, I wasn't going to tell you this Sarah, but I feel a real bond with you....um....my husband actually just left me a few weeks ago. For my best friend."
[Okay. This is where I realize I am a bit in over my head. I hardly know this woman and we have hired her to provide a service for us. The service of LABOUR COACH. Not the service of TEST YOUR COUNSELING SKILLS ON ME FOR 3 EASY PAYMENTS OF $300. I don't remember agreeing be any kind of sounding board for personal issues that are none of my business, nor do I want to (selfishly) provide a stranger a shoulder to lean on while I am dealing with back pain, sleepless nights, and the waging of a daily war between self-discipline and a pint of hagen daas ice cream.]
Me: (really, how do I possibly respond to that?)
Jan: "Yeah, apparently they're in love (forced, nervous laughter). He's gone. After 15 years, he just left. Ha-ha. ha-Ha-ha-ha."
So I talked to her for another fifteen minutes about her family's crisis situation. Not to mention the fact that she was injured and alone, practically in traction.
I hate to say this but because I was already a little skeptical of her, I had my doubts about parts of her story. Something just seemed a bit off. Maybe everything she told me was totally legit, but the fact remains that I did not expect to become a major confidante for a doula on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
I hope I don't come across as heartless in this situation. I really did feel bad for her...but a part of me felt like I was being taken advantage of.....I felt like her authenticity was suspect. I felt like my anxiety of being a pregnant woman on the verge of giving birth which thus justified the hiring of a third party for help, was trivial, unjustified and paled in comparison to what she was going through. When you are paying someone several hundred dollars to make you feel confident, empowered and in control, this is not really what you have in mind. This is more like collateral damage.
Are you bored yet? There is still more to come. A little halitosis. A little "Oh-my-God-is-that-blood?" look exchanged between a doula and a nurse. A little baby Jesus sing-song.
So ANYWAY......I was thrust into a month long ordeal of listening to all her issues over 45 minute long daily phone conversations. You know when someone is yacking your ear off and you hold the phone away from your head and roll your eyes at whoever is in the room? When she did make house calls she was so out to lunch - proclaiming that I had definitely "dropped" when I was certain I hadn't yet (and in fact, I never did - Sadie never came down into my pelvis). She also offered to do acupressure on me and I would lay there very skeptically as she unskillfully pressed on my ankles like a moron. AWKWARD. Again, I know I sound harsh, but I felt and still feel like I had been had. I SMELL A PHONY.
Back to the fact that she told us she had worked as a nurse in hospitals and that all the doctors and nurses at our local hospital knew her from being witness to the births of many babies up there. Um, no. When we did arrive at the hospital on D-Day, no one had a clue who she was. And she reverted to a scared little pup who didn't have her wits about her. ALL SHE DID WAS RUB MY BACK. THAT IS IT. THAT IS ALL. She had promised all these great things she would do for me during labour. But she really didn't have a clue.
I have to stop here...this is getting too long for one post. The grande finale will follow tomorrow.....
This time around the lead up to the birth will be a little different.....I'll be scheduled for a C-section so it will be pretty weird to know in advance the exact time that he or she will enter the world. Not to mention that last time the decision to do a C-section happened so fast that I really didn't have time to process the whole "cut open my abdomen and take out a human" concept. THIS TIME, I will have had ample opportunities to play out how the whole thing is going to go down....and know that my projection is (maybe, hopefully) pretty accurate (unlike first deliveries where you think you might have a plan, and honey, you better not bother because that plan has a 99% chance of being thrown out the window). I look back at my naive, post-childbirth self. I really thought I would have a natural, drug-free delivery. Um, SUCKER. I would have had better odds of delivering a flying monkey.
When I was about 7 months pregnant with Sadie I suddenly panicked and realized that maybe my husband was not the only support I needed in the delivery room. I wanted to go as drug free as possible and questioned my own will-power. We decided to interview a few doulas (labour coaches) with the hopes that we would find a good fit - someone who had gone through the labour and delivery experience themselves and would be skilled in providing the mental and physical support to both Scott and I during the whole "episode."
We ended up hiring the first doula we interviewed. Her services promised 24 hour access to contacting her by phone in the weeks leading up to my due date, support during labour and delivery, and post-partum breast-feeding support, as well as light help around the house, if needed.
Let's call her Jan (not her real name). I have to admit that I got a bit of an uneasy vibe from our first meeting, but because we were feeling the pressure of an imminent due date, we maybe rushed into things a bit.
Jan told us that yes, she did in fact have a child herself, a fifteen year-old daughter. So that satisfied our requirement that she could fully understand the sensation of labour and delivery. However, it later became apparent that her daughter was of a different race than she was (which is obviously not a concern in itself, but makes the whole biological parent thing a little questionable). We were a little surprised but figured maybe she was of mixed race. But in actual fact she had been adopted and Jan had failed to elaborate on this detail when we asked her if she had had any children herself. So the intentional misleading in order to get the job was our first red flag.
Then the harassment began. The hourly phone calls. Asking the same questions over and over. "Are you feeling any 'twinges'?" "No, Jan. For the fortieth time, I'm not feeling anything yet. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT ONE." Then Jan started telling Scott and I that she felt really connected to us, something she didn't feel with most of her clients. She also told us that she had been a nurse in the Mother/Babe ward of a local hospital for fifteen years. And of course, she came with all the (supposed) credentials of a certified doula, as well as references (which we never checked, because I am a fairly trusting person).
Scott often tells me that I am one of those people that stranges like to open up to and pour out their soul. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I admit that it has happened several times. I suddenly find myself getting an earful about the general sagas of people I hardly know. Jan began doing this. She called me one day and I casually asked how she was doing and she said, "oh.....you know...." and there was clearly something she was holding back. So I may have said something along the lines of "is everything ok?"
Jan: "Well actually, I was in a car accident and my car is a write-off."
Me: "OH MY GOD. WHAT?! ARE YOU OKAY?"
Jan: "Ummm....well I was in the hospital overnight and I'm pretty banged up. I was thrown from the vehicle and rolled across the road. They had to cut my pants off me and the first thing that came to my mind is 'what underwear am I wearing'."
Me: "OH MY GOD. Is your family giving you some TLC."
Jan: "Well, no, not really."
Me: "Why not? Where is your husband?"
uh-oh.
Jan: "Um, well actually, I wasn't going to tell you this Sarah, but I feel a real bond with you....um....my husband actually just left me a few weeks ago. For my best friend."
[Okay. This is where I realize I am a bit in over my head. I hardly know this woman and we have hired her to provide a service for us. The service of LABOUR COACH. Not the service of TEST YOUR COUNSELING SKILLS ON ME FOR 3 EASY PAYMENTS OF $300. I don't remember agreeing be any kind of sounding board for personal issues that are none of my business, nor do I want to (selfishly) provide a stranger a shoulder to lean on while I am dealing with back pain, sleepless nights, and the waging of a daily war between self-discipline and a pint of hagen daas ice cream.]
Me: (really, how do I possibly respond to that?)
Jan: "Yeah, apparently they're in love (forced, nervous laughter). He's gone. After 15 years, he just left. Ha-ha. ha-Ha-ha-ha."
So I talked to her for another fifteen minutes about her family's crisis situation. Not to mention the fact that she was injured and alone, practically in traction.
I hate to say this but because I was already a little skeptical of her, I had my doubts about parts of her story. Something just seemed a bit off. Maybe everything she told me was totally legit, but the fact remains that I did not expect to become a major confidante for a doula on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
I hope I don't come across as heartless in this situation. I really did feel bad for her...but a part of me felt like I was being taken advantage of.....I felt like her authenticity was suspect. I felt like my anxiety of being a pregnant woman on the verge of giving birth which thus justified the hiring of a third party for help, was trivial, unjustified and paled in comparison to what she was going through. When you are paying someone several hundred dollars to make you feel confident, empowered and in control, this is not really what you have in mind. This is more like collateral damage.
Are you bored yet? There is still more to come. A little halitosis. A little "Oh-my-God-is-that-blood?" look exchanged between a doula and a nurse. A little baby Jesus sing-song.
So ANYWAY......I was thrust into a month long ordeal of listening to all her issues over 45 minute long daily phone conversations. You know when someone is yacking your ear off and you hold the phone away from your head and roll your eyes at whoever is in the room? When she did make house calls she was so out to lunch - proclaiming that I had definitely "dropped" when I was certain I hadn't yet (and in fact, I never did - Sadie never came down into my pelvis). She also offered to do acupressure on me and I would lay there very skeptically as she unskillfully pressed on my ankles like a moron. AWKWARD. Again, I know I sound harsh, but I felt and still feel like I had been had. I SMELL A PHONY.
Back to the fact that she told us she had worked as a nurse in hospitals and that all the doctors and nurses at our local hospital knew her from being witness to the births of many babies up there. Um, no. When we did arrive at the hospital on D-Day, no one had a clue who she was. And she reverted to a scared little pup who didn't have her wits about her. ALL SHE DID WAS RUB MY BACK. THAT IS IT. THAT IS ALL. She had promised all these great things she would do for me during labour. But she really didn't have a clue.
I have to stop here...this is getting too long for one post. The grande finale will follow tomorrow.....
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Baby Molly and the Bamboletta Auction!
Baby Molly
On Christmas Eve 2010, in my hometown of Victoria B.C., the Campbell family was given some very scary news about their 4-week-old baby girl, Molly. At such a young age, she was diagnosed with leukemia and was rushed to Vancouver Children's Hospital where she will spend the good part of a year, if not more, receiving life-saving treatments.
Molly's story has touched so many people. Local businesses and individuals have initiated fundraising events to support the Campbell family as they provide round-the-clock care for Molly and continue to raise their other four children, who are all under the age of six.
One event that I would like to highlight here is an online auction hosted by the wonderful Christina at Bamboletta Dolls. If you don't yet know about Bamboletta Dolls, you might want to! Christina is auctioning off some of her own coveted Bamboletta creations, but in addition, she put out the call to her many fans to contribute their own handmade items for children (or dolls!).
I've donated a Koo & Poppet bunny to the auction (Milly, who else?) so please go and bid on her or any of the other handmade items knowing that all proceeds will be going to a very worthy cause! You can also read Molly's story and make a secure donation on her website here.
A Bamboletta Doll
Take me to the auction!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Wonderful Winter Woolies and Westcoast Waffles
This is how January feels on the Westcoast:
But luckily, I have found some not-so-dreary Westcoast creations that will warm the body and soul.
My friend Beatriz makes gorgeous hand-knit cowls in Vancouver, BC. I practically live in mine.
Ahhhhh, behold my latest obsession. Also Vancouver-based, Granted Clothing has taken the chunky sweater to new heights. I was doing REALLY well with a new personal conviction to stick to a meager clothing budget. That is, until Granted came into my life. I haven't actually leapt off the deep end yet, but I am oh so tempted....
And finally, to warm the soul:
Strawberry and Banana Buckwheat waffle with Okanagan apple maple syrup
p.s. That waffle was my lunch today. Special occasion, you ask? A pick-me-up for a case of the Monday/January blahs? No and no.
I will tell you how it came to be my lunch.
A certain kind of hunger has taken over my usually tame appetite. An insatiable hunger that causes even the dormant carnivore in my vegetarian self to emerge, desperate to chow down on some meat! The kind that causes cravings that cannot - MUST NOT - be ignored!! Today it was waffles. Tomorrow it might be Chimichangas. Who's to say? And after all of that topping and syrup.....I was still hungry....
So perhaps the "big news" I alluded to last year now comes as no surprise....
I am expecting a baby!
FEED ME!!!!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Taking a wee vacation
I have been a naughty blogger! But I promise to be back in the New Year with some big news.
Until then, I'm going to be taking some time off over the holidays for some rest and relaxation.
I hope everyone gets to do some of the same.
I'm finishing up the last of the December orders this week, and I'll be putting my Etsy shop in "vacation mode" as of midnight tonight until the first or second week in January. So anyone wishing to place a last minute order has approximately 12 hours to do so.
Thank you to everyone who helped make 2010 another successful year for Koo & Poppet!
Happy holidays and see you in the New Year,
xo Sarah
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tonight, I bring you: Blog-worthy quotes from a 2-year-old girl
Quote #1:
Sadie, semi-audibly:
"Mommy. I want Lady Gaga."
Me, incredulously:
"Wait....no....what? What did you just say Sadie???"
Sadie, very audibly:
"I. WANT. LISTEN. LADY. GAGA."
Quote #2:
[picking her nose while driving home on Friday night]
Me:
"Sadie, don't pick your nose."
Sadie:
"No, I trying get boogie."
Monday, November 29, 2010
When the bee stings.....
As we bid farvel (as they say in Denmark) to Cyber Monday 2010, here are a few of my favourite (online) things:
Happy Bee Day Cards by ZenBrush
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)