Last day of work!
Last week of winter, last week of work. Today there is a last minute scramble to get things done and scrambling is getting harder the slower I get. But it’s going to feel so great to go to bed tonight after a long bath and think “no more clients for at least three months!” – actually I should point out that my clients have almost all been amazing and wonderful ever since I got into this illustration thing. Web design clients?— well…some of them are ok too…
I am slowing down drastically… walking up hill takes me twice as long, turning over in bed requires concerted effort and attention and bending down to pick anything up off the floor is a very interesting maneuver. I too am so looking forward to getting my old body back and to wearing a normal pair of jeans and a top that floats gently down rather than stretches to the max around my amazing extremities.
The weather is slowly ticking towards spring – blossoms and blue skies, sunlight when we wake and a little more as we cook dinner. I have been looking towards this spring all year and now I can’t believe that it’s almost here. New beginnings and all that. My focus for so long has been my work – producing, improving style, networking, keeping up motivation levels and marketing. Suddenly all that is going on hold. I am quite relieved to let it all go for a while, to just relax and not feel the ongoing pressure to keep up the energy. But then I wonder how on earth I am going to manage to shut down that part of my brain. Is it going to be like when I would finish a round of exams at school and then collapse into a pile of exhaustion and have a big “what now?” slump that seemed to last the whole Summer? I am hoping that’s just a teenage kind of thing, but I fear not. Perhaps I will have a sudden flush of creative motivation egged on by the fact that none of it needs to be attached to the idea of earning money or furthering my career. I have a few ideas brewing that might one day see the light of day… perhaps when the small unborn child turns out to be a miracle sleeper. First things first; Next week I plan to make gingerbread men, and we’ll go from there.
Hang in there Claire, just think that you are more than halfway done! 🙂 I know you are anxious to see the face of your little one and the time will come soon enough. I love your journal so much, so glad you aren’t breaking from us for 3 months. I wouldn’t know what to do!
oh i can’t wait to see you again…
Maybe your baby does weigh more. Everyone thought my son would be smallish around 2.8 kilos, but he was 3.8 kilos.
I was going to tell you that one of the very best baby things that we got was a futon to throw on the floor in the nursery. It was a great play area when Ro baby was learning to roll over and sit up. It was also a good napping/breastfeeding area for mum and baby. We still play on it a lot a year later as I have a bunch of gym cushions for clambering on. Good luck!
oooo Claire. I do hope the placenta issues resolve themselves. My best friend had a low lying placenta and ended up giving birth two months early. after a rocky few weeks, she and her baby boy (a darling creature with lush eyelashes and the most amzingly fat cheeks oh-so-ripe for the pinching) were just fine. I too join the ranks of the relieved when you say you’re going to contnue to update your journal. It requires every ounce of patience I have to wait between updates. Is there a support group for addicts of Loobylu? You should know that you inspired me to start my own humble journal at diaryland! It’s great fun!
Claire: I know well what it is like to come to the day when the wheels stop rolling. I have been experiencing a strange post-event depressin this week. I think it is lifting.
You on the other hand will have your hands joyfully full very soon. I will light a candle for you and pray that all baby related concerns resolve themselves in a positive and timely way.
And, if you feel antsy about work re-entry know that I have slated funds to commission holiday illo for my site.
cheers and grace…
*hugs* The picture in my mind’s eye is that of you running down a running track, doing your final sprint, and us cheering you on.
Of course it’s a tad tedious (not to mention dangerous) to be running with child.
You get the idea, sweetie. We’re all behind you.
i am sure you will find plenty to do, if not then just rest up and be lazy while you have the chance:)
Glad you’re still updating, was worried for a bit! I always look forward to Loobylu in the morning with my tea.
Thinking of you here…
I can’t wait to see this babay!
Hello from Bangkok. My name is Keng. This is the first time that I come to your site. It’s very interesting. I will come again. 😀
I’ve been to your site a few times so far, but have never left a message. I love your site! Your writing is so colorful! And good luck with the little baby. I look forward to reading more. =)
I know how you feel right now. My daughter is 18 months old now and I still remember the day she was born like yesterday. Yes it is a tough journey, but one that is rewarding(even though sometimes you think it isn’t).Godd luck with the little one. I wish you all the best.
Rita
~An Aussie living in Wisconsin Dells WI
People who are creative are so lucky — they have a way to escape for a while from the hard realities of life!
i really hope you take (and get) the time to indulge yourself and enjoy your gifts for a while. Just for you, not for clients.
Oh, and for us, too!
Are you doing the log roll out of bed? I miss that.
Just so you know, your body will never be the same. It will be so much more “womanly”. I’m not skinny anymore. Sometimes that gets to me. But most of the time, I am very pleased with the new body.
If you didn’t before, you will have fabulous arm muscles from carrying and lifting the bean 😉
You know, the first time that little baby of yours pops up in an illustration, I am probably going to cry. 🙂
I know the feeling, just wanting to be “mobile” again and having our pre-pregnancy figure back. And you’re very eager to meet the baby face to face – I know I was.
(P.S. don’t get scared if it looks like you’re still pregnant after the baby is born. I didn’t gain more than a pound a month during my pregnancy, but after my son was born my abdomen was really distended for a while and it was a bit disconcerting to have to wear my pregnancy jeans during three months following his birth. It looked like I was still pregnant!)
I came across your site over a year ago and just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for creating something that continues to inspire me while I work on my own loobyly wannabe site 🙂
Im curiouse, have you choosed a birthing method of some sort? Natural birth, birthing pool, yoga, or any of sort? Or Being in a hospital loaded with morphine. Would be interesting to see what you have choosed.
enjoy. enjoy. enjoy. your lives will never be the same. they will be full of wonder, excitement, fear, trepidation and a huge feeling that you never knew what you did with yourself before childbirth. it is a wonderful time
my 4mo old is a great sleeper.. she takes naps and sleeps through the night (10hrs at least) so it can happen.. good luck!
Hi! I browsed through your portfolio and visited your “Elsewhere Found” links. I love your images! =) I especially like the fact that your characters have diverse ethnicities, and that you feature racial “minorities”! =) Keep up the excellent work! =)
Dannah
PHILIPPINES
hang in there, claire. good luck finding the chest of drawers, waddling slowly around the house, and getting ready for baby x’s triumphant arrival!
What a wonderful life you are about to discover! I thought I had it all- before my baby… now I wonder how I ever survived without her… now I have 2… Life is grand. And oh so much more so with children’s laughter. But that comes months and months after many cry-educed sleepless nights when you will be wondering just how to re-insert this screaming thing back from whence it came… LOL. Best to you and baby!!!
you remind me of amelie (a whimsical french film)
i must say…your site is sooo charming ^-^ it inspires me to go after my dream (book illus)
can’t wait to see your baby.. (“,)
as for the stretch marks..i heard that applying baby oil or lotion on the marks while you’re preggie prevents them…
God Bless You..wishing you all the best 🙂
Damn, I miss this site. It went so well with a cup of coffee after lunch
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it..