I promise! I am still here! Man, is life crazy for anyone else right now or is it just us?

I’ve been MIA for a few days because we’ve had a sad teething baby. Or, make that, a sad, teething, pooping baby. In addition to hatching two new teeth, he has also had the runs for days. I really thought that I was going to go insane. The poor kid’s little bottom was so blistered, he would just cry and cry every time I changed him (which was quite frequently).  I think when he has diarrhea, it freaks me out all the more because of my ulcerative colitis. I know what it’s like to have really awful GI problems, and I guess my big fear is that he too will be stricken with it. Mom reminded me that Satan really wants me to have me caught up in fear, but the reality is, I must be confident in God’s control and His big plan for our lives. Even if Jude does have UC someday, it will be all in God’s perfect will and He will use it to His glory. May He also use mine as well. 

In addition to this, I’ve had a couple of work projects this week that have to be done, and because he was having the poops, I couldn’t take him to Mother’s Day Out on Tuesday as I normally would. So here came Grandmother to save the day! My mom came yesterday morning and picked him up and took him home with her and he has been there ever since. Usually my mother-in-law keeps him on Wednesday mornings so I can go to Bible Study Fellowship, but my mom just let him spend the night. We were so thankful to have a night off, and to get a full night’s rest. Jude had been waking up frequently in the middle of the night, so we had resorted to putting him in bed with us, which equals no rest for anyone really. I was getting really tired and really frustrated, as well as stressed, so this little break has been a really good way for me to reset, as well as accomplish a lot of things, frustration-free. Thank you so much, Mom! I am eternally grateful!

Yesterday I met with one of my brides to work on her wedding programs, and I can’t wait to show them to you. They’re going to be really beautiful; she’ll have them in her hands by the end of the week. I’m also working on a web project for a friend’s store to help her drive down the ecommerce website cost and save her some money; while I’m not doing the design, I am responsible for the writing of content and descriptions of the clothes. We’ve been working on getting everything pulled together, and it is quite the project! When it’s launched, I’ll be sure to let you all know. 

My mother-in-law is beginning her career in real estate, so I’ve been helping her with her headshot (we’ll have the shoot tomorrow) as well as writing her bio for her. A business system is also in the works. She’s really excited about this new venture, and I’m excited to be a part of it! Whew! I’ve got A LOT to keep me busy!

I was also excited to see the arrival of Jude’s Dwell rug from Target today (ahead of schedule! go Amazon!). It’s really beautiful, and I am extremely impressed at the quality for $79. It really was a bargain, and I am extremely happy. I feel like it just completes the room and makes it look so sharp. If only I could justify a place to put the green stripe rug from there – it’s just such a deal!

I also hung up the French ABC flashcards that I bought in San Francisco at the ever-delightful Paper-Source. I absolutely adore them. The typography and illustration is just so adorable.

As much as I love being a mother to Jude, these days are really exhausting. He is so active and into everything, it feels some days like it’s hard for me to “accomplish” anything. I laugh to myself when I re-read that sentence. What is it that I really want to accomplish? Yes, I enjoy graphic design, blogging, crafts, and interior design stuff. But sometimes I find that when my attention is so greatly divided between my son and my work, I do neither design nor mothering very well.  Heck, sometimes I don’t really think that I do housework very well either! But it’s all about doing what you can to the best of your ability; and no one is going to judge me (hopefully) on the cleanliness of my house.  Jude is one of the most important people in my life, and I want to give him all the love and attention he deserves. He and Simon deserve the best of me.

Thus said, it’s been nice to have a mini-mommy-break so I can focus on getting my house clean, organizing my office (it is OUT of control!), taking care of a few business matters (darn insurance!), and getting to work on a design project or two. Thank you, again, Mom, for helping us out!

Oh, and I finally got around to cleaning up the spare bedroom, which has been looming over my conscience. When I redid the office a few months ago, it became the dumping ground for everything that didn’t really belong in the office. Which was a lot. So here it is now, in its (rather boring) clean glory. There is now room for someone to spend the night, if need be!

Hope everyone is doing well!