Thursdaily with much to do...

[ellenmillion]

"Much to do" is sort of a theme, I think...

I made massive in-roads on the abstracts project yesterday, and got all caught up on contact with everything I had painted - I have four more prompts that I still need to do, so I will be doing those (and any repaint requests that come in) tomorrow. Waiting to hear back on a few second choices, but most are ready to go in the mail! Horrah!

You can see the finished paintings (so far) here: http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/abstracts2-finishedabstracts.php

And all the available abstracts here: http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/abstracts2-available.php

They are $5 each (included shipping) and proceeds go to fund EMG-Zine...

And, in related horrahs, EMG-Zine is safe until December, 2012! We not only met our goal, we kicked that goal's butt, and I will have awesome site improvements to add shortly! :) :) Thank you so much to everyone who made this happen! You guys rock. (now, go submit steampunk work!) I have already started your amazing surprise, and it should be good to go tomorrow. (But let's say Monday, because... things happen.)



Today, I:

Pack up ACEOs

Christmas errand

Gym - been TOO sedentary this week!

Dance class tonight

Lunch-like things

Rug shopping? - nope

PO

Follow up on missing payment if no check at the PO, otherwise, go to bank - Unfortunately, option 1. :(

pay CC

post something for TW New reference article, Northern Clothing: http://www.tornworld.net/settingpageview.php?id=167

Secret Amazing Surprise! - finished, just need to make a page to share it with!

Now, packing and a snack.


ETA: And thank you for the thoughts on carseats in my last entry! I am boggled by choices, and trying to decide how carrying/strolling would work. I'm not fond of the idea of carrying a carseat around - it sounds awkward at best... but where do I go where baby would go, too? Grocery shopping - a carseat would be as easy as anything? Get it into the store and plop it in the cart (can't wrangle stroller and cart together). PO? Er... nothing is convenient for that. A sling to leave hands free, maybe - a wrap would be too complicated for such trips. Gym? Just have to get her from parking lot to the daycare and back - anything will do. I think about where I'd use a stroller, and it always comes back to trails - which I don't really need to drive to (and the carseat/strollers don't look trail-ready). Doctor's office? A sling sounds easiest for that, too. Probably, what I need to do is get a sling, and plan on lugging a lightweight carseat for the grocery shopping or any cases where I'm not wanting to hold her for long periods. Thinking thinky thoughts!

ETA: Oo! Consultation appointment at the hospital scheduled for Jan 3 to talk with an anesthesiologist. I really hope not to need it, but if it becomes necessary, I don't want any Big Last Minute Surprises resulting from my wonky back.

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

Go, you! :)

Keep in mind that as soon as the baby is sitting up, you can put her in the cart at the grocery store; I DO strongly recommend one of those seat cover things. We had a nice one that converted to its own bag and it was well used. (Look for one with a zipper pocket to stash a pacifier and a couple of "store-only" baby toys in and a built in harness for added support for the early sitter.)
For the relatively short time you'll be going to the store before then (hopefully, you won't have to go out much especially for the first few months), you might just manage with the sling. Though a car seat for the cart is something you might be able to pick up cheap at a garage sale or something, too. Check your store, too; many have carts with built in baby seats available these days.
Another alternative is getting a good stroller with a huge storage area. I had a great one, and that was useful for non-major trips to the store. (Also, how often will you be able to leave the baby at home with Jake, or have him go while you stay home? That might affect your needs, too. :))

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly hoping I don't have to go out much! Heh! I'm a bit of a homebody already; I expect to become downright hermit-y for the first several months of Guppy's life.

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

Yay for hermitizing!!!

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

(hugs)

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Okay, a few things.

1. Carrying a car seat with a baby in it can definitely be awkward and inconvenient, but there is a HUGE convenience to it that sometimes outweighs all the other inconveniences: when your baby falls asleep in the car, you can move her inside without waking her up. Many infants will continue sleeping as long as they're in the carseat, even if you take them into the supermarket, or take them into the house. I cannot overestimate how valuable this is, and how much we missed it when E graduated to the convertible carseat.

2. Carriers are AWESOME. I personally love the Beco products. The Gemini and Butterfly 2 are both excellent; I waffled between the two for a while before settling on the Gemini, which I absolutely adore. I can carry E (even now!) for hours without any back strain. The Butterfly has a cloth pocket between you and the baby, which means you can buckle the baby into the carrier on the bed or chair for easy back carry. Plus, if the baby falls asleep you can take her off without waking her up. I found the Gemini to be more comfortable and easy to wear, plus the baby can face out, which is nice. Both are excellent products. And buckle carriers are a lot quicker with the on/off than wraps, which makes them very convenient for errands.

3. The snugride snaps into many strollers (and if it doesn't, you can get carseat attachments for most. The shopping carts in our supermarkets are usually just about the right size to perch the snugride on top of, too.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Ooooooooooo... I never considered the wake-up factor. (Can you tell I'm new at this?! :P) GOOD point!

Definitely leaning towards the smaller snugride at this point!

[jenny_evergreen]

Will always woke up once the car stopped, so that wasn't a plus for me. He actually slept best in the sling, and walking would put him to sleep. (You would not believe the hours we spent pacing the hallway in our little house!)

I don't know about the carriers recommended, but a sling is VERY easy on/off and you can face the baby in or out as well. The only thing about a sling versus other wraps is that it's not adjustable, so you need to get your size, and you can't share with your spouse unless you happen to be the same size. Tom and I each had our own sling, though I did most of the carrying.

*looking below* As for five point harnesses and bundling, there's also this option, which I have one of somewhere. Though, in truth, the baby lived in sleep 'n plays and I just put a coat on over that and he was fine.

Which reminds me; sleep 'n plays (aka footed pajamas)...stock up on them! They are NOT just for sleeping; in fact, Will lived in them almost exclusively till he was six months old. (Finn started other stuff sooner, for some reason.)

I read somewhere when I was pregnant that keeping the baby at home as much as possible for the first four months is a good idea (exposure to illness, etc), and I did that with Will and, to a lesser extent, Finn. It was good all the way around for all of us, I think. YMMV. :)

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I have a prodigious stack of sleep-n-plays started! My sister-in-law has been combing flea markets (which we don't have up here) for us, and sending box after box of onsies and various clean used baby clothes. It's going to be a challenge to keep our house very warm, so we're particularly gleeful when she finds long-sleeved and footed things. (And she's found a surprising amount of it, considering she lives in GA!)

[polarbee.livejournal.com]

I had a stroller to use with my carseat on loan from my SIL and never used it in Fairbanks. This is just not a stroller city unless you're talking jogging stroller. Also, the infant carseats are much easier to bundle up against the cold and then transport to a car then bundling up an infant and then hooking them into a five point harness. And then trying to get the harness snug enough around the well padded baby.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to think of places I've SEEN people in town using strollers - and it's mostly events like the fair.

A warm carseat cover will be a must-find, too!

[polarbee.livejournal.com]

I got mine from www.babypolargear.com and used it through all three kids. Nice and warm. I also took some quilt batting and cut a piece to fit behind the fabric cover that comes on the carseat to help in the coldest months.

[polarbee.livejournal.com]

Oh, I meant to say you are welcome to have mine if you like. We are definitely done and having a spare even if you get another can't hurt.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I would love love love that!! Yes, please! Thank you!

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

Yay, for EMG-zine! Though we cut it close this time! Yay for an amazing super surprise!

What are you thinking of for the future of EMG-zine? Do you think next year will/should be the last? I am always for going out with a bang rather than fizzling out.

Submitting now....then bed!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Yay EMG-Zine!

I agree that I don't want to see it fizzle... so... I'm not sure! We've got a few months to see how things go. I've been really heartened by the outpouring of monetary support, so maybe I can cajole people into submitting more features - or sweeten the pot a little somehow.

Amazing super surprise! I hope folks like it!

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

I am sure we will like it. :)

I don't know if I am going to be able to get a Steam Punk one done, it's too crazy right now.