A week and a half of boring details
I’m still here and still pregnant.. I have been pottering around getting things tidied up, napping a bit, cooking a little and eating a lot. I have also been working on an illustration that I have been really enjoying. What’s more it’s for me and not a client so that’s an extra bonus. I have uploaded a detail of it to my folio web site’s front page so you can check it out
Just for the record, it’s time for a quick update–
Tuesday (yesterday): I spent the entire day working on my illustration. I like it and I haven’t felt this motivated in a long time and I even stopped watching tv in the evening to come out and do some more work on it. We ordered in pizza for dinner because I couldn’t stop drawing and Big-P was too tired after doing a large presentation to cook. Vegetarian and Originale. Very yum. Last night I was awake at 3.30am and watched a telemovie called “Seduction in a Small Town” which was only remotely better than the infomercials on other channels. Got back to sleep around 5.
Monday 9th: We caught the first part of Rachael’s birth on ‘Friends’. She doesn’t look pregnant… how did she retain those skinny chicken arms? Where’s the bad skin and the aching back? What about puffy ankles? Really – her boobs are no bigger than they every were. Pffft. I am very glad we don’t have to go into shared rooms for the first part of labour. I don’t think I could cope with listening to some other poor dear puffing and panting. It would send me right over the edge. I slept the whole night through. Utter bliss.
Sunday 8th: Sunday saw me and my mum go off to my baby shower which the lovely Small and the sensational Special-K organised for me. There was plenty of cake and quiche, chatting and present receiving. I got to waltz in to Small’s house and be the guest of honour and waltz out again (stagger home for a nap actually) while Small and Special-K and Small’s Grandma were left with a huge amount of washing up and no kitchen plumbing due to a recent plumbing disaster. The dishes all had to be ferried to the bathroom, washed and then brought back again to drain on the draining board.
Saturday 7th: Big-P and I went and test drove a brand new Hyundai Accent… they are on sale at the moment and we are seriously considering buying one. How incredibly indulgent – A brand new car! It seemed ok, a little on the cheap side when it came to the interior but it wasn’t too bad, and really – anything is going to seem like a luxury vehicle after bombing around in our old and not so trusty 1980 Corolla.
Friday 6th: Delicious dinner at a lebanese restaurant in Nth Balwyn. There was a shimmering belly dancer, extremely loud music, good mates and plenty of amazingly good baba ghannouj (thanks to Paul for the spelling and the short update idea). I was impressed at how quickly all the guys managed to grab the seats up against the wall and way out of the belly dancer’s line of wiggling fire when it was our table’s turn for some personal belly-dancing attention. This meant that poor Nicole was left stranded and had to look politely appreciative as the dancer focused her entire attention (hips, butt, belly) in Nicole’s face. I was impressed to see that Nicole remained calm with a beatific Mona Lisa smile throughout the ordeal. Also on Friday I had my good friend Van over for lunch. She brought amazing treats from the Mediterranean supermarket in Brunswick and stayed to appreciate my house in the sunshine. Slept alarmingly badly. Woke at 3.30am and watched Rage until dawn when I crawled back into bed and slept until 8.
Thursday 5th: I was meant to have Small, Tiny-Small and Small’s Grandma over for lunch but I was totally exhausted after very little sleep and called her up to cancel. Instead I made some gingerbread men (I managed to eat the entire batch in 3 days) and went around to my Mum’s place where I slept on the couch until I felt better.
Wednesday 4th: Wednesday night was our last Birth and Parenting class. Tonight’s theme was “going home with your baby”. The men had to fold nappies with much confusion and guffawing while all the pregnant women sat back and looked exhausted. During tea break, Some of the guys laughed at my stomach as they were impressed at how it entered the room long before I did. When men with pregnant partners laugh at my stomach, I know that my belly really must look impressively big. Speaking of such things, I had to duck out to Target today to buy some new maternity clothes. With only a few weeks to go it seems ridiculous to do so but the sad reality is that my belly has grown out of the maternity gear that has seen me through the last 8 months. Slept very badly. Lay awake worrying about being a mum and giving birth and driving a new-born around and nutrition and this awful world we are bringing a family into. I got up and watched the tennis. Thank god for the tennis.
Tuesday 3rd:Today consisted of Cooking shows, Rikki Lake, Judge Judy, Beauty and the Beast and Oprah. What day time television I missed was due to falling asleep on the couch.
Monday 2nd: Woo, now we are really getting into the foggy past. Let’s see… Miz C came out today to pick up a CD of some files for a client that I am handing on to her. We drank tea and chatted and I was so pleased to see that she is really excited about her new life as a design freelancer. She gave me copies of her business card which made me want to go and make business cards. But that can wait. A business card at the moment would have a kind of lame job title.
I honestly can’t remember what happened the weekend before that. Probably shopping for groceries, sleeping, the intention of seeing a movie but not being able to find the energy to do so… oh – Special-K came on Sunday afternoon and we sat in the back yard in the amazing Spring sunshine, nibbled on chocolate fingers and looked up at the Almond tree (I think it is an almond tree but I could be wrong) which is about to burst into incredible blossom. Good bye to winter.
i loved your new illustration & i hope you’ll have a wonderful spring with baby-x…
You’ve been away so long I thought you must have given birth and that you’d been enrolling the little tike in pre-school.
I love the picture. Just adorable. Where can I buy a quilt like that?!? Must have!
Anyhow good luck, best wishes and all that. I hope it goes easily for you.
hang in there sweetie — you’re on the home stretch!!
the revamped clairetown looks beautiful too!
your new inspired illustration is soooo warm, and loving and full of all the good things in life. i want to tuck myself up and under, and be there with my family. even your new homepage spring illo is more lifefull than your previous work. pregnancy is simply blooming on you. I can’t wait for the day when a client wants an illustration and i can show them your work.also.. sitting waiting for this bairn to be born. dreading the times when you don’t post to your site and crossing all fingers you are well. you are sadly missed on the net, and fondly thought of when you aren’t here.
Claire, baby-x’s boofing isn’t an indication of how it will be out in the real world. Prenatally, my mom believed I was going to be a soccer star, but I since then I showed no tendencies into this directions at all. However, today I started to look into american football and ice hockey..R. (wishes you all the best)
Mmmm, love the patchwork quilt. I’ve been dying to make one but needing inspiration on shades, think I know what I want now! Thanks!
I absolutely love the new illustration at clairetown — very warm and fuzzy. A baby’s love will warm your heart more than that comfy quilt. Best wishes to you!
ooooo Claire. Loobylu grows ever lovelier! The stretches between your entries seem sometimes interminable to me, but then you bring us the joy of an entry like today’s, and it’s all so sweet and good and worth every minute of the wait! I am coveting that quilt too, as I see everyone around the globe is! Scrumptious! I simply adore your new illustrations… so fresh and fun and brimming with life and love and all that is good. So wonderful that you’re surrounded by warm, caring and creative friends and so appropriate that Baby X will be born in time to help usher in Spring. To us North Americans, it seems impossible that you’re just starting spring on the other side of the world, but you make it all so lovely and real. Thank you truly and sincerely for giving us Loobylu. Be well and get some good restful sleep now! Lots of love!
That’s beautiful… Now I want to illustrate childrens books. I remember all the warmth and fuzziness of sitting in teacher’s lap and being read to.
Ahh being pregnant sounds, very, er, interesting. I’m too young to fully comprehend the idea of “motherhood” but I do hope you enjoy it.
CLAIRETOWN! My favorite portfolio site now… a huge inspiration – just tell me one thing, do you draw on paper and scan it in, mouse draw it, or do you use a wacom tablet?
Love ClaireTown! Your art is fantastic and scrumptious!
None of this might be relevant, but…It would be nice to have your own room when birthing because it was true for me that when another woman, who was giving birth, started screaming it made me panic, when I was laboring with my son!
Whatever happens, your body is incredible, so for all the pain you may experience, remember that you are giving LIFE! Good Luck!
The world you’re bringing BabyX is your and Big-P’s world! That is where the hope lies! And your family and friends are good and kind and loving…that will be Baby X’s world, too!
Ps…You’ll do just fine as a mom! Do you know why? You’ll have no choice!
Said quite a bit, sorry!
Looking at your drawings, I can only imagine how beautiful your thoughts are. Thanks for transporting us to your little make-believe world everytime we see your illustrations.
You’ll do great loobylu Claire. You’ll do more than great.
hahaha that thing about the belly dance and nicole sounded hilarious
Incredibe how the words and pictures of a stranger half the world away can make me tear up.I’m having the best time following your saga, and am so happy for you, B-P and B-X.
Best wishes.
Aaaaah!
That’s better.
My Loobylu hit.
makes me smile everytime i visit loobylu. i love that new drawing on the left you put up for spring… with the wind blowing, blossoms falling and your tummy swaying. have a great spring and the very best wishes with little baby-x!
i love visiting you here. you are inspiring. hope your baby will be healthy and beautiful! as you are!
Hi Claire! I missed seeing new entries in your site, but wow, you sure made up for it with your wonderful artwork!! I love your new illustration! I like the new image at the front page of loobylu too! 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Love the new portfolio illo (detail). Where can we see the whole thing?
Hi Claire! I hope all is well with you! After a year of coming to your site, I still enjoy it very much. I wanted to know if you ever considered writing a book on drawing and coloring. I don’t know if you’ve thought about it but I think you should. I would definitely buy it. I don’t think I would be the only one either! Let me know.
Is it proper, Dear One, to quote your own words back to you? If so, then “We wonder what kind of person [baby-X] will be and bless [it] with good thoughts and well wishes.” We do know that baby-X will be gifted and kind, like its parents. And it will be an asset to this sweet scary world, like its parents.
Many hugs to you all.
I hope baby-x looks as cute in the hat as Miffy!
My grandfather just bought an Accent and he seems to like it a lot. Just make sure you get the 5 door model!
We ended up buying a corolla! My oh my – it is one swank car. We pick it up sometime this week and I can’t wait – I may even be brave enough to drive it.
What a rich illo. You really should get into children’s illustration.
Claire, we bought a new family car about a week before our baby was due, and it is a Corolla as well. Pretty sharp little car, and we got a bare-bones version.