At 4:45 am Maple wakes up wanting to eat, and I pull her into bed and try to feed her. Except this morning she alternates between grabbing for me and then pushing me away and fussing.
Around 6 am I put Maple back in her bassinet, and I try to sleep more. At 8 am I scoop her into my arms and she just squeals with excitement, over and over. I drag myself out of bed, make breakfast, and Maple and I sit outside to eat, because it’s such a beautiful and cool morning.
9 am: I set Maple down for her nap, but she yells up a storm. Before I can decide what to do, she falls asleep mid-yell and looks like a peaceful angel once again.
I go outside to play fetch with Amber while I finish off the entire pot of coffee and answer customer emails on my phone.
9:45 am: I’m settled into the studio, ready to sew, but . . .
My dad calls to talk to me about his recent biopsy results and he’s worried. I can’t say I’m thrilled either, I’m not ready to have another parent deal with cancer. And I know my dad doesn’t want to deal with this – especially not alone like he is.
Then my brother calls me and I talk to him until Maple wakes up.
11 am: I bring her outside to nurse, and I try not to feel frustrated that it’s lunchtime and I haven’t done any sewing yet.
For lunch Maple has homemade baby food – sweet potato, white bean, and apple puree. She also gnaws on a huge slice of red pepper. I have some bean chili from the freezer.
12:30 pm: Maple is really fussy, and I don’t know what to do with her, so we hang out in the hammock. She doesn’t want to be fed, she doesn’t want to be put down, but she also doesn’t seem happy being held.
1 pm: It’s nap time but Maple is fussy, so I put her in the bouncer while I try to print out orders & shipping labels. She bounces and giggles for a few minutes and suddenly falls asleep. Maybe that fussiness was just tiredness?
I take her upstairs to the crib, then head back downstairs to deal with a customer service issue: A customer didn’t receive her order, even though the tracking code shows that it was delivered.
This hasn’t happened to me before, so I turn to Google. The Etsy forums are full of advice, and I create a response and email the customer back. I’m stressing out because I want to replace the item for free if the customer follows the steps I requested, but the high cost of shipping means a financial loss for Janery. However, customer service is important so I will eat the loss.
Then I break my no-sugar-during-the-week rule and finish off the ice cream that’s in the freezer. I’m completely aware that I’m stress eating because I’m frustrated with how little true work time I have in a day.
Back in the studio, I finish sewing the Charlie Cushions that I started the day before. Yes, it took me 1.5 days to sew two dog beds, because of all the interruptions.
3 pm: Maple wakes up happy, but quickly turns fussy and whiny. I don’t know what to do (because thankfully, she’s rarely like this!) so she and I just hang out until Ryan is home.
4:30 pm: Ryan gets home and takes over with Maple, and I head back to the studio to work. I get more sewing done, which is a relief.
6 pm: Ryan has made dinner and we eat while taking turns holding Maple, who is extremely fussy once again. At 7 pm I play with her before putting her to bed.
8 pm: I finally print out and package my orders, but my computer is still acting up.
9 pm: Time for “fun sewing” as opposed to work sewing – tonight it’s testing out an idea for a fancy dog bandana that slips on the collar. Testing an idea I’ve had in my head is always a treat for me. It’s good for a first run, but it needs a few tweaks before it’s ready to sell.
10 pm: Ryan, my in-house IT department, has figured out that my computer is freezing up when I’m down in my office, so I sit at the kitchen island with my laptop. I look at Christmas fabrics and debate adding a Christmas line to Janery. Last year my holiday pillows sold out quickly, and I’d also like to add holiday pet bandanas. I really should have decided this in the beginning of August.
11 pm: I take the dogs for a walk, then I make Ryan’s lunch and clean up the kitchen.
12 am: I straighten up Maple’s room and end up reading a few of her books that I’ve never read before. It’s strangely relaxing and I finally feel ready for sleep.
4 Comments
Hi Jane,
I love this little glimpse into how you operate.
I don’t know if anyone has ever shared this quote with you, but it is so true.
“this is the longest shortest time of life” It is also the title of a podcast which is pretty awesome too.
I just feel it in my bones, the days are full of frustrations and transitions and working towards this goal or that and you before you know it you’re holding a 3-year-old who is a half as tall as you are.
Thank you for sharing this! I agree with you, and it’s scary how fast time flies and how quickly babies change and grow. I am trying to be zen about my time and enjoy the moments as they happen. I will admit that last week was NOT a good example of that! I had a babysitter two days a week this summer, and that was the perfect balance. Those two days I churned out work for 6 hours straight, and then the rest of the week I fit it in when I could – but more importantly, because I had the dedicated work time, I think I did a better job taking care of Maple (and not stressing) on the other days/hours. It created a clear delineation between work time and mom time, if that makes sense. I’m thinking I need to find a new babysitter so we can go back to that schedule.
These posts are so interesting! Love hearing about Maple’s moods and personality (and envious of her being a good napper!)
Thanks Tara!