Meet Maury

Maury is Jo's newest friend. Auntie Kristen and Dan introduced Jo and Maury -- knowing that they would immediately love each other. The rest is history.

Self. Selfish. Selfless.

I've been really stuck on the idea of "self" lately. Self. Oneself. Myself. Being selfish vs. being selfless.

I was talking with a friend the other day who has a two year old. She said that being a parent is probably the most selfless thing anyone can do. We were discussing that when we have children all of our energy and time goes into making sure they are taken care of. You don't have a choice. You have a baby, and then BOOM, they are your first priority. Over everything.

This idea of selflessness was echoed again in a different conversation by another friend of mine, who doesn't have any children. We were talking about the sacrifices that we make with babies. Actually, I was talking about how I really wanted to have a few drinks at the cast party after our opening weekend of Kokkola, but couldn't since hangovers with a baby are even worse than hangovers in general. Not really a huge deal in the scheme of things, but it's a good example of how even minor things are affected with a baby. Plus, since Nick is working full-time and in school part-time, that makes things even harder. I can't even schedule a haircut without figuring out a sitter first. 

It may sound like I'm complaining. I'm not. I'm absolutely not. Even though I occasionally mourn my pre-baby life, it's all worth it.

That being said, I do wish I had more time for myself. You may say, "What are you talking about? You have a job and are in a play and have an Etsy shop and are writing this blog post right now!" Exactly. I really really wish I had more time when I'm not expected to do anything. Honestly, this contradicts the way I live my life. I thrive on being pulled in many directions. I love doing 100 things at once. But I also crave time for me, when I don't have to worry about anything and can just be. There have been days when Nick has spent his time with Jo so I can do what I need to. Even on these days I rush and feel guilty, hurrying to get home. Argh.

I'm hurriedly writing this blog post before Jo wakes up from a nap. It may have to be finished when she goes down for the night. Then I have a golden period of about an hour (if I'm lucky) to try to fit as many things as possible into that me-time before I have to go to bed. Late nights are a luxury of the past -- Jo wakes up for the day around 5:30am.

And I'll say it again, yes, sometimes (many times) it's really really hard, but it's all worth it.

Must eat brains...

Over the past few weeks I have been in tech for and then opened my show. "Tech" is the part of the rehearsal process where you add in the technical elements: light, sound, set, etc... It can take quite a bit of time to get used to the new things and get it all working together correctly.

So...my nights have been late. Couple that with the fact that Jo has been waking up around 5:30am these days. Add on top of that that I'm working during the day and can't nap with her. Also, I don't do well without sleep. My body and brain shut down. So basically I'm a zombie.

The good thing about being a zombie right now is that it totally works with the character I play. I'm definitely not looking my best. I'll sleep eventually.

photo credit - Sooz Main

I'm the one on the left, by the way...

Let's go to Brooklyn!

I recently discovered Brooklyn Junior - made in the USA, 100% cotton, modern children's clothes.  Clean lines + stunning visual prints = awesome! It's reasonably priced too.

Here are a few of my faves:

They also have super adorable tees & onesies:

New friend

This is my new Clover seam ripper. I love it. It's ergonomic so my fingers don't feel all crunchy when I'm ripping out seams. I've been using it all weekend (not on purpose).

Baby Friendly in Ravenswood

Last week we celebrated Nick's birthday at Fountainhead. It's one of his favorite beer joints and happens to be really close to our new place. AND it's baby friendly until 8pm. This is huge since now Nick and I can bring Jo along when we want yummy beer and food. Hopleaf isn't an option anymore since they are adult only -- they have three signs up to make sure you understand that. Fountainhead has a very similar beer menu, and there aren't the crowds that you see at Hopleaf. Much better in my opinion. There aren't any highchairs, but the service staff is super friendly and will bring you plenty of spoons if your child likes to play with them (Jo is a spoon maniac...and straws!).

The next morning we walked over to Over Easy -- a fabulous breakfast joint just minutes away from us now. The line is usually out the door on a weekend, but it's relatively empty at 7am (when they open). Since Jo wakes up at 6am, we were there as the doors opened. The server asked right away if they could bring anything for Jo and quickly replaced spoon after spoon as Jo dropped them on the floor. A highchair was brought over as soon as we sat down as well. The food was fast, but we weren't rushed. Jo even tried blueberries!

As far as I'm concerned both places get an A for being baby friendly.

Old and new

Last weekend we moved into our new apartment. It was surprisingly easy thanks to the four young strong men that Nick had come over to move the big stuff, and to my mama who helped with Jo. We have almost all of our boxes unpacked and all we have to do now is make it feel like home. It's getting there. I know where all of the light switches are now. I can also find my way from our room to Jo's room in the middle of the night with no lights or glasses on. That's progress.

I am sad to leave our old place on Ashland & Winona, though. Nick moved in in 2007 and I joined him in 2008. It was our first home together. It was where Johanna was born. It was where we learned the joys and headaches of home-ownership. It was a great place to start.

Despite all of the good stuff we are also very happy to leave. Ashland is a loud street. We had no air conditioning and very little outdoor space. It was too small. We needed to upgrade.

So now we're living on Wolcott & Argyle. We have three bedrooms (which means I have an office), two sunrooms (which means Nick has an office), two bathrooms, central air, and a washer/dryer. No, it doesn't have the same ring as Ashland & Winona, but it will do. It will do just fine.

Zulily Alert - American Classics

Zulily is featuring items made in America this week. Here are a few of my picks from today's American Classics sale.

Yellow Blossom Dress by Freckles + Kitty

Green Jumpsuit by Buckleberry Kids

Red Pom-Pom Dress by Buckleberry Kids

Blue & Ivory Dress by Buckleberry Kids

Blue & Lime Reversible Dress by LilliWear