Happy New Year!

I have been intending to write a post for days now, but Iyla's "Baby Radar" is extremely fine tuned. What is Baby Radar you ask? Well, it goes like this:

Baby appears to be sleeping soundly. I use this as an opportunity to:

*Make a phone call
*Eat
*Use the restroom
*Return emails
*Start a blog entry
*Take a nap
*Start some yoga

Without fail, minutes into any said activity she is suddenly UP, fussing and wanting to be held. It amazes me. It's like a little sensor in her head says "Mama is not paying full attention to me! Wake!" And hence Mama doesn't get a whole lot done other than lots of baby cuddle time (which is lovely unto itself).

I am trying to be mindful of not trying to 'do' too much during this precious time with Iyla. Yesterday I was working to get our home & studio apartment updated on a vacation rental site, and found myself feeling frustrated when Iyla would continually wake... which isn't fair to her. THIS is why I am not sure I can saddle continuing to do real estate while caring for our little lady...  but that is a post for another time.

We had a lovely Holiday with family and friends. This year my family all came to Austin to celebrate, so we wouldn't have to make the drive to Houston. And Iyla got the opportunity to do what all good children should do when they first meet Santa Claus: cry!

And this was her very own Grampy, too! I admit I was the one adamant about someone needing to dress up this year so I could get a photo. Thanks Dad!

I had fun dressing Iyla up in her Holiday apparel. We typically live in onsies & leg warmers on a daily basis, since baby dresses tend to bunch up and be more annoying than anything else. But for the Holidays? Super cute.

With her Mimi

We ditched the hair bow partway through the evening when Iyla started getting fussy. Here's me intervening during her Santa meltdown.

Sweet photo with her adoring Grampy

I did manage to make my annual Christmas cookies thanks to the Moby Wrap, which in general Iyla isn't too keen on. But it did make for a handy apron!

One of the most fun gifts Iyla received was an activity play mat from her Mimi and Grampy. Within minutes of putting it together, Sam seemed to think it had been purchased especially for him:

"Aw, thanks Mimi and Grampy! I love my new play mat!"

 I put Iyla down to check out the new present. Sam wasn't too pleased.

 "But it's MY play mat, Sam!!!"

I even put the play mat on top of my desk to deter Sam from sleeping on it... and this is what I found later on that day. He's a crafty one!

I felt bad for Sam- who has admittedly had a hard time adjusting since Iyla came home and took over his Mama's attention. So I made a special trip out to find him his own new bed, which was met with great success!

It sits at window height, an easy view from where I perch at my desk. He likes to keep an eye on me!

Iyla has been doing really well. We hit some serious fussy patches last week- including two full days of fussing when she wasn't asleep or eating. I took it upon myself to cut out all dairy a little over a week ago, and I am hopeful that her more recent peaceful nature is a direct result. Prior to cutting this out, I could audibly hear her belly rumbling when she nursed, and she also did a lot of grunting at night. I know a lot of it is due to the normal immaturity of an infant's digestive system, but wanted to do what I could to help alleviate the distress while she is in the midst of it.

Another amazing accomplishment in the past week? Iyla is consisting doing a 5-8 hour stretch of sleep at night, which apparently qualifies as saying she is "sleeping through the night!" Amazing. The first 8 hour stretch was Christmas Day night, and since then we've had three 8 hour stretches, and a good handful of 6-7 hour stretches as well. She usually goes to bed around 8:30 (as do I!)- then will wake between 2:30-4:30 to nurse and go back to sleep. If she nurses at 2:30 sometimes she will wake one more time around 5:30. We then rise for the day around 7-7:30. I am liking this new schedule very, very much!

She has also woken up with a dry diaper several times- even after an 8 hour stretch! We then put her on the baby potty, which lately has about a 60-70% success rate. I think she must have inherited her Papa's camel-esque bladder to be able to last that long.

"Why yes, I do have an awesome bladder, thank you very much"

I am hoping to start work on 2013's vision board soon, highlighting the goals I'd like to manifest in the upcoming year. It may take awhile to compile, given Iyla's Baby Radar, and I will update the progress as able in subsequent posts.

Until then, I leave you with our sleeping beauty, who always seems to come up with the most precious poses while she slumbers:

Happy New Year!

2012 Vision Board

I created a vision board for the first time ever last year, and it proved to be an unexpectedly fun outlet for me.  I almost never make time in my daily life for arts and crafts, so this is a great opportunity to be purposeful both in accessing my creative talents AND in working to manifest what I want to bring into my life for the coming year.

Last year's board can be seen here. Looking back, the items that pop off the page to me are the $$ signs and the Star Power!, Express Yourself, and Babies! words/phrases.
**$$$: I did have a fantastic 2011 in Real Estate (up from a tough 2010 when Austin finally felt the recession's effects). Check.
**Star Power!: I filmed an episode of HGTV's House Hunters (which should be airing soon- eek!) Check.
**Expressing Yourself:  I worked oh so hard on finding my voice last year, working to become authentic and direct in my speech and release passive aggressive tendencies. Check.
**Babies!: I even squeaked in a December pregnancy at the 12th hour! Check.

I desire much of the same for 2012:
**In the finance department I want to enact more financial freedom, independence, and balance. This may be one of my last full time years in Real Estate before children come, and I want to make it count!
**Star Power? Not needed again on the National level- but I do sincerely hope to be a Rock Star to all the lovely clients I am lucky enough to work with this year.
**Expressing Myself- still a HUGE one for me in 2012. I want to continue to release fear around speaking my voice- fear of authority, fear of conflict -and commit to abandoning any residual passive aggressive tendencies.
**Babies? YES PLEASE. Let's get them to come and stay this year.

Creating my vision board ends up being a week ++ event for me, broken down into several parts.

1. Collect all my US Intellectual Magazines and start cutting out photos & words that catch my fancy
  **I would cut things out between work emails/calls. Cue me to being absolutely mortified one day when my broker called me on FaceTime--running into our living room to take the call, lest he see the mess of magazines scattered over my client files!
2. Purchase poster board & a glue stick
3. Create the first layer of the board- the background
  **I was shocked -yes, SHOCKED- to find myself being drawn almost exclusively to shades of turquoise and blue for the background. I never gravitate toward blue for anything (clothes, decorating, etc) so was curious about this sudden desire. I then had my "AHA" moment when I made the connection that BLUE was the color associated with the throat/5th chakra, which is completely related to expression and finding one's voice. 2012's lesson was loud and clear!
4. Scatter all pictures and images around and arrange them on the board according the the Bagua Map layout.
5. After pictures are in place, scatter all the words around and group them into phrases that speak to 2012's goals.

Here is the evolution in pictures:

 2012- The Year of Blue

 Images emerge

 My oh so helpful assistants thoroughly enjoyed the process

 Those circles near Otis' rear are all 5th chakra symbols

 Organizing words

 Behold! May these visions become reality.

Exhausting work

I do realize this kind of thing isn't for everyone, and how "frou-frou" it can all seem. This was highlighted to me when an acquaintance stopped by the other day to drop off some paperwork. She took one look at the explosion of images/words on the floor and asked what was going on. I took her to view last year's vision board on the wall, to which she noted all the words pertaining to "babies." I then awkwardly word vomited all over this unsuspecting girl, something along the lines of "yeah- we've been trying to get pregnant for a long time and actually did get pregnant last month but sadly miscarried. Hoping to bring those babies back this year!" 

That poor girl could.not.leave.fast.enough. Whoops. At least I was authentic and direct in my communications, right? 

Bring it, 2012!