tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20294455518515037662024-02-02T18:20:34.292-06:00julia eliseJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.comBlogger642125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-11476912844925368792016-02-10T15:34:00.000-06:002016-02-10T15:34:13.816-06:00into the light [more film]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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while the days are surely getting longer and it is later in the morning when ethan exclaims "the sun is coming up, mama!" and later in the evening when he asks "is it dark outside, mama?", there is still something special about all the darkness that comes with this season. i will always remember this winter as the one we started eating our dinners (and sometimes breakfasts) by candlelight, or oil lamp-light. the one when i decided i'd better use up all those beautiful candlesticks i've been holding onto for all these years (i think i still had one pair a friend gave to me in high school!), saving for that special occasion. realizing that every meal we sit down to together as a family is special. and savoring them as much as i possibly can.<br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-5676095222106000752016-02-02T13:15:00.002-06:002016-02-02T13:15:45.408-06:00days in the life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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so i didn't do very well with my attempt at shooting one roll of film each month last year (even though i do have a whole roll from way back in my former life of august and september that i never got around to posting here...) but i am still making an effort to shoot more film because oh lord. when i look at these, i wonder why i even bother taking digital photos at all. of course, i know why i do, but still. these photos make my heart swell. even the ones of my messy kitchen counters and dusty staircases (i'll share those next time; there were too many good ones from this roll to share in one post).<br />
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film forever. and ever and ever. amen.<br />
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xo<br />
<br />
<i>(shot on an olymus om-2s and processed and scanned by old school photo lab. i forget what the film was, fuji i think)</i>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-40855276064835371702016-01-13T12:43:00.002-06:002016-01-14T12:56:23.050-06:00eight and a half weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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it's been eight and a half weeks since we welcomed cora into our family. as to be expected, there have been many up days and many down days. she is an absolute delight and i am so over the moon that we get to have her in our family. but seriously, this two kid thing is no joke. after the holidays, a few people said to me "it must be nice to get back to your routine." ahem, routine? hahahaha. oh well, we are kind of, sort of settling into something may or may not resemble a routine. i am trying, always always, to find a balance between being present in as many moments of our days as i possibly can and savoring this precious time with ethan and cora, while also taking care of myself and finding time to do some of the things that make me happy and fill me up as a person, not just a mama. i know, lofty goals, huh?<br />
<br />
well, in the spirit of that, here are a few of my intentions for this year. i say intentions, not resolutions, because while i do intend to work on these things, i don't want to feel like a failure if, inevitably, some of them slip away through the course of the year. i'm sharing them here mostly so that i can be reminded of them later in the year when that happens.<br />
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:: take care of myself. this includes resuming my home yoga practice, doing a better job of eating well and not mindlessly grabbing handfuls of chocolate chips every other time i walk through the kitchen (which is all the time), making a strong effort to get out and walk even on cold days, making the time to shower more often (sorry, but you know it's true), and try try try to get enough sleep.<br />
<br />
:: get our household under control. i know "decluttering" is some kind of new religion. and i know it was my resolution last year. but this time it's for real. jared and i are totally on the same page about getting our house under control and we've already made a lot of progress, even though it may not seem noticeable. we are working hard to get rid of stuff we don't need, maintain areas of the house that we've already cleaned and organized, and deal with stuff as soon as it comes in the door. this also includes boring adult stuff like managing finances better.<br />
<br />
:: be more present and intentional with my time. stop wasting time mindlessly scrolling through facebook and instagram on my phone when i could be getting something else more valuable done.<br />
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:: write more. i'm setting myself a loose goal of writing something at least once a week. this may be a post here, in my journal, or another piece. i currently do a lot of writing for work, but i'd like to work on more personal writing, and maybe even try to get a piece published somewhere? who knows, but it's something i really enjoy and need to carve out the time to do it (see goal #1).<br />
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i have lots of other more specific projects i'd like to work on or get done this year as well, but for now i'm sticking to these overall intentions. what are your intentions/resolutions/goals for this year? i'd love to hear. <br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-61713256508360046742015-12-04T15:21:00.003-06:002015-12-04T15:21:32.255-06:00welcome cora dean!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
on
november 16, just two days after her "guess date," cora dean miller
arrived to join our family. she was a tiny little thing, weighing just
over six pounds, but stretching out to twenty long inches! she was born
in the water at our amazing birth center, surrounded by three midwives,
our incredible doula and friend, and her loving parents. ethan was up
bright and early the next morning (eating breakfast at 3:30 am) and came
to meet his baby sister (that kid knew what he was talking about with
his predictions!) before we all headed home together as a family of
four.<br />
<br />
she is named for three incredible and strong
great-grandparents of hers--cora for my paternal grandmother, constance,
and dean for my maternal grandmother dorothy and jared's grandfather
donald (bud) who just passed away in late july. this little lady has got
some big shoes to fill. <br />
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these first few weeks have been amazing and exhausting. more than anything, though, we are so so glad she is here with us.<br />
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more soon.<br />
xoxoJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-10330542171120597072015-10-20T13:36:00.001-05:002015-10-20T13:36:27.582-05:00because i have nothing more important to do than start a new quilt...<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
on par with making homemade shampoo just days before my wedding... <br />
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i was on such a roll with posting here a few months ago, wasn't i? i was so enjoying it and excited to be writing and sharing regularly again and then, well, then life. i have a post about nesting that i wrote about two months ago and have edited and updated a few times and wanted to post, but there it sits in the drafts folder and well, it just doesn't feel quite relevant anymore. no matter how much i've edited it.<br />
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because we are so past "nesting". we are in full on baby-preparation mode. we are in building-new-ikea-dresser, installing-new-carseat, washing-baby-clothes-and-diapers, and oh, making-a-throw-quilt-just-for-the-hell-of-it mode.<br />
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yeah. i've made some pretty damn cute new baby stuff over the past few months that i'll share one of these days. and i am still finishing up one last (i think) knitting project. and then, i suddenly decided that now was the best time to take that random log cabin quilt block i made for no reason a few years ago and has been sitting in various piles in my studio and make up a whole quilt of them. because that's the headspace i'm in right now. i'm thinking about winter with a baby and a toddler, and i'm thinking about snuggling under lots of quilts, and i'm thinking i wanted something new. just for us. <i>the four of us (!)</i>.<br />
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so here it is, in progress. i thought it was done with eight blocks, but as i started plotting out the sashing and the border i decided it really needed another row and less sashing/border. so i went back to the fun part of combing through my scraps and putting together four more log cabin blocks. (each block is 14"x14" and i'm thinking the finished quilt will be about 60"x48"ish). <a href="http://www.houseonhillroad.typepad.com/" target="_blank">erin</a> posted a photo on instagram last week of what she's discovered as her "personal palette" and i realize, this is definitely my palette...greys, purples, browns, blues, and a few pops of greens. i'm really psyched about this one, especially the fact that every bit of it (minus the batting, fine) is coming from my stash. definitely a plus in the decluttering/studio downsizing department! it's going to be backed with a super cozy flannel piece i picked up from mill ends a few years back that i've been saving for just the right project, which is definitely this one. i know i have a little ways to go before this is ready, and i really should quit it and get back to a few more urgent projects that need to be taken care of in the next month or so, but i just cannot wait to be cozied up under this thing on the couch with a new babe, and ethan, and jared, and freddie this winter (hmm, maybe it needs to be even bigger...).<br />
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and speaking of that new babe...it's mindboggling to think that he or she will be joining our family in just about a month or so now. phew. that time thing again. one of the things i am most excited about it seeing ethan grow into being the amazing big brother i know he will be (and really already is). he is so nurturing and funny and caring and i can't wait to watch him teach this baby all kinds of amazing things that he's got in his head. i love him so much and am so excited to welcome another little person into our family and grow our hearts even more.<br />
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all love. <br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-70887287639361194642015-08-11T20:14:00.000-05:002015-08-11T20:14:30.664-05:00a million tiny triangles that i didn't want to part with.<div style="text-align: center;">
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or so it seemed (technically, it was more like four hundred)...<br />
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here is my latest quilt made for one of my oldest and dearest friends' baby, sarah madelyn. per usual i didn't even pick out the pattern or color scheme until she was a few months old and then started to get stressed that i wouldn't finish it before she turned one. some baby gift! but alas, i did finish just shy of her 10 month birthday (about two months ago already!). i'm pretty sure no one was counting anyways (except me, of course).<br />
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i picked out this pattern (thousand pyramids) from the same quilting book as my <a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2015/01/and-one-more-quilt.html" target="_blank">last quilt</a> and quickly got to cutting up many many triangles. the vast majority were 5" tall, but there were some random ones that were actually four tinier triangles sewn into one that i placed throughout the quilt top. all of the fabric for the top were scraps or came from my stash. i keep doing this, but yet it doesn't seem to make a noticeable dent in my overflowing shelf and scrap bags, hmmm. per usual, i forgot to measure the finished size of the quilt before i sent it off, but i made the crib size, which is supposed to measure 47"x59" and i'm guessing it was about right. <br />
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the biggest thing i learned from this quilt is that i am not a very precise sewer. in all stages including measuring, cutting, and sewing. i had so many triangle points that didn't match up or got cut off that by the end of this project, i decided that my next goal is to just get better at all of this. i know practice makes perfect and i've been sewing for almost ten years now. but i think i'd like to make some mini quilts or even just lots of quilted hot pads or pillows with different patterns and really be intentional in being precise and practicing different techniques and get all my corners and points in line.<br />
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of course, none of this is noticeable to anyone but myself, but i think it's always good to have personal goals to improve your skills and talents, even if no one else is paying attention. and it's exciting too, to work on getting better at something that you really enjoy doing and brings you happiness. <br />
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in any case, i really do love this quilt. it was very hard to part with and i'm contemplating making a similar one to keep for ourselves (don't i say this about every quilt i give away? yes, i think i do). or at least one with the same color scheme, because man am i in love with purple-grey-yellow. luckily, i was mailing it off to the sweetest little babe, who i hope to meet in person soon. as always, i spent many of the hours of stitching thinking about her playing on this quilt, or sleeping under it, or building forts with it. and many hours were spent thinking of my dear friend, and how at nine years old when we first met at summer camp, i never could have imagined that twenty-three years later here i would be sewing a quilt for her baby. Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-85159033658547269962015-08-06T21:44:00.003-05:002015-08-06T21:44:59.039-05:00two!<div style="text-align: center;">
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ok, i'll just get this out of the way right now and then i'll move on. <i>i cannot believe that this little guy is two.</i><br />
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once i get over the mind boggling-ness of the fact that our child is two years old, i am <i>so happy</i>. he is so so much fun. i mean, sure he can be frustrating and stubborn, and you know <i>two</i>, but really. even at the end of a hard day, the things i look back on most while jared is giving him a bath and i am sitting in the kitchen not cleaning up after dinner are the funny things he said and did. all the hugs and kisses that he still gives me. the way he knows the name of almost every single character in one fish two fish red fish blue fish (aka: one two fish), and there are a lot! the way he knows the names of most of his books and has very strong opinions about which ones should be read and in which order. and also which ones should be read by him or mama or dada.<br />
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i remember how he lets himself out in the backyard and generally is pretty darn content to play out there "with freddie" for a little while, while i can finish making dinner or cleaning up the kitchen all the while checking up on him out the window. he loves to play with the water from his kiddie pool. filling up pitchers and "watering the garden" and maybe picking some unripe tomatoes. <br />
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he loves music and can sing a few songs. his current favorite is still "happy know it." he is still obsessed with "playing the banjo" (aka, anything that maybe sort of looks like a banjo or guitar) and dancing around. he also loves to make up songs and just say things in a sing-songy voice sometimes. i love those. <br />
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i remember how he constantly blows my mind with what he says. he is always thinking. in the middle of bedtime the other day, out of the blue, he said "dill goes in the pickles." you know, weren't we all thinking about what was happening with that large bunch of dill in the kitchen?<br />
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he is actually starting to help with some small tasks, which is really awesome and cute. he can pull his shorts off and put them in the laundry basket. he likes to help feed freddie. if he wants something from the other room, he will often just go get it himself (after an initial "mama go get it"). and he is getting pretty good at his please ("peeese") and thank you ("sank you"). i love the inflection of his little high pitched voice and try to record as much of it as possible so i will never forget what he sounded like now.<br />
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overall, two is pretty damn great so far. i just love who he is and who we get to watch him become.<br />
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we had a super fun and low-key party in our front yard last saturday with lots of friends and family. ethan was excited about his party and to "eat some food" (of which he did very little). since he appears to hate chocolate, but loves fruit, i made two peach blueberry pies, which were an absolute hit with the birthday boy and everyone else (recipe from voluptuous vegan). this little boy is so very loved by so many and this party was a wonderful celebration of his community.<br />
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we love you, ethan sidney. may the longtime sun shine upon you.<br />
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xoxo Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-43666496146613589332015-08-04T09:58:00.001-05:002015-08-04T09:58:11.359-05:00june/july film!<div style="text-align: center;">
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i'm happy to report that month one of my new little film project is a success! i finally decided to splurge the extra $5 to have my film processor scan the film for me (instead of procrastinating for weeks, inevitably screwing it up and having to do it all over again, and ending up with dust and dog hair on the negatives no matter how much compressed air i use) so here are some beautiful, professionally scanned photos for you. (and the next roll is well underway in my camera!)<br />
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most of these are from the vacation we took about a month ago with my parents at a beautiful cabin up north. ethan had a blast on the pontoon boat, at the town beach, running around the cabin and making himself at home in the sandbox. and of course, it was extra special to spend so much time with grandma and baba.<br />
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while i've definitely become a convert to iphone photography for daily snapshots to share quickly, i will never stop loving these little snippets of our days on film. the magic of film will always hold a special place in my heart. Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-81007497976615001002015-07-07T20:16:00.003-05:002015-07-07T20:16:27.408-05:00baby tummy<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/19322353280" title="first sibling photos by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="first sibling photos" height="334" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/307/19322353280_6f51949413.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/19514489811" title="first sibling photos by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="first sibling photos" height="334" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/347/19514489811_46efa88c82.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/18887786664" title="first sibling photos by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="first sibling photos" height="334" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/522/18887786664_c140392d6e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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ethan has been informing us as of late that he has a baby in his tummy. just a guess, but i'm pretty sure it's because <i>i</i> have a baby in my tummy...yep. we've hopped back on (did we ever hop off, really?) the crazy rollercoaster of having a baby. come mid-november, casa miller will have one more little one and we couldn't be more excited. <br />
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it is altogether insane how different this time around has been. both in how i've felt physically (worse than last time, but still generally wonderful), but mostly emotionally. when i was pregnant with ethan, we had very few expectations because how could we possibly know what to expect. but now that we've been through one wonderful and healthy pregnancy and birth, i just can't help but worry that this one won't be as easy. our doula told me that i should think of ethan's birth as a reference point, and not the standard to hold this one up to. i'm doing my best.<br />
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but truth be told...i just don't have nearly as much time to spend in my head about all of this this time around because i'm so busy chasing after ethan and being exhausted when i'm not! this is probably a good thing. when i was pregnant with ethan, i remember those every-four-week appointments at our birth center seeming so far apart from each other. now, jared and i look at each other and say "the appointment is this week? already?" one thing that has not ceased to amaze me since ethan was born is how crazy, magical, and heartbreaking a thing time is.<br />
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but here we are. baby tummy and all. after the first time hearing the baby's heartbeat at the birth center, ethan said "baby heartbeat moonic" (his word for music) and i almost died of heartbreak. at our ultrasound last week, in between gulps of milk and snack distractions, he pointed at the screen and shouted "babyyyyyy!" he loves "talking to baby" and saying "hi baby" (while waving awkwardly), "good morning baby", "night night baby", "i wove you baby", and his favorite "i big brover!" last week he started talking more to the baby like he was telling baby all about the world- what he's eating (which he tried to feed the baby by shoving raisins into my belly button), what he sees, and even telling the baby about how he helped mama weed the garden. <br />
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i could not be more excited to bring another beautiful, tiny, perfect little baby into this world. and to watch ethan become the world's greatest, sweetest, silliest, and most mischievous big brother.<br />
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all love. and still more.<br />
xo<br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-71378541027300836622015-06-29T21:33:00.001-05:002015-06-29T21:33:12.684-05:00late spring on film<div style="text-align: center;">
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some of the recent film photos i've taken... i've been inspired by <a href="http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/" target="_blank">elise's blog</a> recently and i'm going to try to shoot one roll of film every month (or so). i do miss shooting film and every time i get a roll back i think, <i>why aren't i doing more of this?!</i> so here i go. a new project, which i need like a hole in the head right now, but oh well. i'm already 3/4 of the way through my next roll, so i'm hopeful that i can keep up. Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-42003380648852152562015-06-16T13:03:00.002-05:002015-06-16T13:03:36.205-05:00where we spend our days now<div style="text-align: center;">
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as i mentioned last post, we have never spent as much time in our backyard as we have so far this spring/summer season. ethan requests "backyawd" practically as soon as he's halfway through breakfast. after we set up the kiddie pool last week, he convinced us to take off his pjs during breakfast this morning and almost made a break for the pool in his diaper before i realized the back door wasn't latched shut. he's a sneaky one.<br />
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we've been working on not picking <i>all the flowers</i> or trampling the garden. he massacred one of my peony plants, picking every single bud before they'd had a chance to bloom. we're having a bit more luck with the other two, as well as some of the other flowers that are slowly beginning to bloom. he seems to be slowly getting the hang of being gentle with the plants and is now excited about watering them all, including all the weeds, walking around dutifully with his little pitcher repeating "agua pants! agua pants!" <br />
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i decided to go all out and plant almost exclusively tomatoes this year. i've got a healthy variety of yellow pear, matt's wild cherry, roma, ace bush, big rainbow, and my all-time favorite: cherokee purple. i started them from seed in mid-april (a few weeks late for our region) and didn't get them planted until a few weeks ago, so they're all still quite small. i'm hoping for a healthy harvest come august, though.<br />
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i'd still like to get over to a garden store or the farmer's market and get some more flowers to put in pots and my flower boxes on the front porch, but we'll see if that's going to happen or not. my garage wall garden is going strong and overflowing with nasturtiums that i cannot wait to bloom. especially knowing that these are safely out of reach of small toddler hands.<br />
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as much as i truly loved growing up in the middle of manhattan, i'm kind of excited that ethan will get a bit more of the outdoors in the everyday of his childhood than i did. eating tomatoes and strawberries straight off the plants, digging in the dirt, "swimming" everyday...if the past few weeks/months are any indication, it's going to be a really great summer around here. Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-28268548598787499292015-06-01T21:59:00.000-05:002015-06-01T21:59:18.488-05:00surrounded by love and beauty<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/18180979180" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="334" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/485/18180979180_8e3fc29650.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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this spring has been busy busy busy. i wish i had posted more often over the past few months. i wish i had posted about our trip to new york. which was absolutely wonderful, save for the fact that ethan refused to be out of our sight, making it a bit exhausting. he was not a fan of the carousel in central park, but he did enjoy the zoo. mostly he talked about the "horses wheels" for a while (the horses and carriages in central park). he also enjoyed making two new baby friends (cy and ren) and getting a complete sugar high on berry sauce at a restaurant in my parents' neighborhood. he made such an adorable scene that the owner came over to photograph his purple sauce-covered face and brought us free drinks and extra dessert.<br />
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meanwhile, back at home. we have been spending more time in our backyard than we ever have since we moved into this house. i found a killer play house for ethan on craigslist and he basically wants to be there all. the time. sadly, the house is not enough of a distraction from massacring the garden, but we do what we can and i'm taking a lot of deep breaths and reminding myself that <i>it is just a garden. it's okay. </i><br />
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i knit this vest for ethan last fall (i think) from one of my favorite baby patterns- pebble vest. i have made this pattern four times now and am still not bored of it. it is such a basic and classic baby vest. i adapted it to make a larger size, just using the same pattern but with bulky yarn instead of worsted. i ran out of the pale green yarn (it was leftover from another project) so i went with a color block look and finished the back panel with some doubled spud and chloe sweater yarn. this vest has been perfect for the cool spring days we've been having and i'm hoping it still fits him in the fall too. (on ravelry, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/juliaelise/pebble-henrys-manly-cobblestone-inspired-baby-vest-4" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
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i have a few more crafty posts coming up and hopefully i will find some time to writing some more of the other posts i have in a queue in my head as well. about a month ago, right after the earthquake, i wrote a whole long post about nepal and my six weeks there in 1999 and what that meant to me. of course i then never made the time to scan some photos from my album (oh, the days when i used to meticulously make photo albums!). but it's not too late. i can still finish that story and share it here. this, i know.<br />
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i cleaned out some more of my sewing studio and found a stack of photographs and prints from some of my old flickr/blog friends. abby and andrea and chelsea and mary and tara. it made my heart so happy and i wondered why the hell these beautiful works of art were sitting in a pile under some other stuff. i vow to find some frames and hang them up soon so i can see them all the time and be surrounded by that love and beauty. <br />
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i have some film i finally shot and got developed and actually scanned! unsurprisingly, the entire roll is of ethan. it's lovely.<br />
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more soon.<br />
xo<br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-24680092165863701202015-03-29T20:54:00.000-05:002015-03-29T20:54:00.532-05:00lately<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16787093039" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8753/16787093039_cbf629cf32.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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hi friends.<br />
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of course this is a re-do of a post i must have written about a month
ago but somehow never completed and published (as my friend <a href="http://scoutandjem.typepad.com/bookscout/" target="_blank">andrea </a>likes to say: hastag motherhood. also known as hashtag unfinished everything. story of my life).<br />
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winter is maybe almost sort of over, i think. sure, it's still a bit cold. but this winter has got nothing on last year so i'm not complaining. in fact, i wish we had gotten more snow! ethan became obsessed with his mini-shovel and the poor kid has had very little snow to work with. oh well, it didn't stop him from getting in his "suit" (snowsuit) and wandering around outside to his little heart's content. jared and i are totally pjs all day kinda people on the weekend if we don't have plans, but we've learned the hard way that active toddlers need to get out of the house. so as reluctant as i may be some of these cold days, i know we need to get outside before the ethan-monster arrives. luckily even though it's still cold, it's warmed up enough to warrant suit-free play outside and now his obsession has shifted to his adorable rubber boots (that he can amazingly put on himself! what the what?!)<br />
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ethan is TALKING. well, he's been talking since a little before his birthday, but it is full-blown now. he puts words together, recognizes a bunch of letters and colors, and count, and puts multiple words together. he's become very demanding: "mama run" "mama play" "freddie lay down" "agua table" "more raisin peeees", yikes! he knows exactly two spanish words: agua and oso (bear). his language skills are off the charts (literally), which kind of makes me feel better about what a terrible sleeper he is (when we talked to our new pediatrician about his sleeping issues a few weeks ago she shrugged and said "sounds like you made a bad sleeper" thanks). his brain is just going all the time. <br />
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he is obsessed with his baby doll. sometimes when he's left it upstairs or in another room out of the blue he'll look at me, put his hands up and say "baaaaby? baaaby?". he is equally obsessed with his nanny and nanny-share friends. every day he asks about them. on the weekends we tell him he will see them on monday and his face lights up and he says "MONDAY!". no one has ever been more excited about mondays in the history of time. he is also obsessed with buses, which is convenient since we live down the street from a school and he gets to see the "bool buses" (school buses) every morning (not to be confused with the "cee buses" (city buses), obviously. and he continues to be super into his books. to the point where i have literally had to hide a few that i just could not stand to read again (little blue truck leads the way? no thank you). other recent favorites include: green eggs and ham, go dog go, goodnight moon, are you a cow?, corduroy, and go go go stop!. <br />
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in other news, thank you for all the kind words and orders after my shop reopening last month. there are many goodies left if you're still interested. <a href="http://www.juliaelise.com/" target="_blank">have a look</a> if you like. i have also been busy (almost) finishing another quilt and some knitting projects, and, ahem, I READ A BOOK. in like three days, people. and it was not remotely related to pregnancy, parenting, or anything of the like. (this is how you lose her, by junot diaz, if you're interested).<br />
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we are off to new york city for "spring break" and some family and friend time. i'm mostly looking forward to taking him on many cee buses and subways, maybe the central park zoo and carousel, seeing some baby friends, hopefully some relaxation, and lots of grandma and grandpa time.<br />
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more soon. xo<br />
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<i>i noticed that all of these photos were either taken in or from the kitchen. a pretty accurate summary of our lives these days...</i> Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-77026301633894214632015-02-07T14:57:00.003-06:002015-02-07T14:58:43.349-06:00upcoming shop news.<div style="text-align: center;">
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as i mentioned in my resolutions post, i am working on some new products for <a href="http://www.juliaelise.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">my shop</a>. i am super excited about this new wave of inspiration and motivation and i hope you will be too!<br />
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i will be restocking brown sugar scrub in all scents as well as the all over body salve that has been out of stock for quite a while. both of these are winter favorites of mine and i've received great feedback from customers and friends too.<br />
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i will also be introducing a calming body salve, shea butter cream, and deodorant cream. the deodorant cream has been a staple in our family for a few years and i've finally perfected the recipe and am excited to share it with anyone who has been looking for a really nice natural deodorant. the calming salve and shea butter cream are both brand new and are already in heavy rotation over here.<br />
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i'm hoping to have everything up in the shop in the next week or so, but for now- please sign up for my new <b>shop news mailing list</b>, which will have more details on these and future new products, shop updates, as well as discount codes. i hope to send out a little email note every few months or so with shop news and some extras too. think of it as a special little blog post just for you. you can sign up <a href="http://eepurl.com/bcwenn" target="_blank">here</a> or in the sidebar.<br />
<br />
xoJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-1005142081490138662015-01-26T20:30:00.000-06:002015-01-26T20:33:24.256-06:00And one more quilt...(for now)<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16191469437" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="346" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/16191469437_1fe1ed6e74.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16351380396" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="431" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8612/16351380396_94639d84dd.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16375627191" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/16375627191_70d9b24098.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16189970150" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7377/16189970150_3637a7213d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16376458752" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="353" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/16376458752_d18ce16335.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Remember that time when I said "<a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2012/10/you-have-year-or-more.html" target="_blank">you have a year</a>"?
Well, here I am again, a few months late (again).<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This quilt is a wedding gift for my brother and his
wife, who were married last November (ahem, 2013). My brother is a pretty reserved, solid, dark
color kind of guy, and his wife is, well, a little more into bright colors. So,
I thought the color scheme of varied bright greens, on a pale grey background
would play well towards both of their tastes. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found this pattern, called Bear Paw, in an old quilt book
that was gifted to me years ago by an old family friend who used to be an
amazing quilter, but was no longer able to because of her arthritis. When I
began thinking about making a quilt for them, I somehow came across this
pattern and was set on it. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by far</i> the
most complicated and detailed quilt pattern I have ever followed. The hundreds
of tiny triangles, hell, even just the triangles period, required many many
hours of cutting and measuring and sewing. Poor Jared had to endure days and days of
"hey! I made two triangles into a square!" and then "I made two
squares into a rectangle!" and so on and so on. Luckily he's a very good sport about these sorts of things. As complex as this pattern
was, and as many months as it took me to piece it all together, the slow and
steady construction and seeing it all come together finally was amazingly
exciting and satisfying. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And then, the quilting. Oh, the quilting. I brought the finished top into our
local quilting store when I was ready to buy some fabric for the back and after I
picked something out, I casually asked the woman for some advice on how to
quilt it. She casually replied "well, you could just stitch in the ditch
and trace the pattern." Oh sure, no problem. And from there ensued many
many hours of quilting. Again, the most detailed and complex quilting I have
ever attempted. Not to mention the fact that this throw sized quilt <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just barely</i> fit through my small sewing
machine, making exact stitching in the ditch more than a little challenging. I used light grey thread for the quilting, which blended in with the main front fabric and added a nice contrast on the back. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there you have it. Just over a year after their wedding
date, it is finally completed and settling into their home in California. After all of
that cutting and piecing and quilting, I have to admit that it was a little
hard to part with this one. But I'm so happy to know that it will have a good
home with the two of them. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Details: Almost all of
the greens were scraps from my stash, many of which were leftover from that
<a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2010/01/biggest-gift-ive-ever-given.html" target="_blank">first wedding quilt</a> I made many moons ago. The grey on the front is Kona Ash and the backing
and binding is Kona Graphite (or possibly Shale or Steel...whoops, forgot to write that down!). I of course also forgot to measure this quilt before excitedly packing it up to head to its new home, but it's about 50"x65". A generous throw size, with plenty of room for the "newlyweds" to snuggle up together on the couch...</i></div>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-3638632122681422922015-01-21T20:47:00.002-06:002015-01-22T10:52:14.277-06:00easing into the year.<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16336869522" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/16336869522_c9c8a9b7b8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/16336869322" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8575/16336869322_18a7d23b29.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15717814163" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7577/15717814163_f83df79078.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
on new year's eve at about 10pm when jared and i were laying
in bed about to fall asleep, i half-jokingly asked him what his resolutions
were. he's not a resolutions kind of guy. i am though, so here are mine.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
:: declutter and organize our house. i am on a big kick for getting this done this year. we are not the neatest of people, so my expectations remain realistic. but i know we have loads of stuff in our house that we do not need and do not use. it's time to clear some of it out. my plan is to spend at least part of one evening every week working on this. so far, i have mostly cleaned out my nighttable drawer and some of my closet. i get overwhelmed by big clean outs, so i'll just be doing a little bit here and there. my office, studio, kitchen, and the rest of my clothes are also on the chopping block. the basement is off limits until the rest of the house is done. </div>
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<br /></div>
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:: <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">read at least one book. i recently realized that the only books i've read in the last two years have been on the topics of pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting. must change that now. accepting any and all recommendations.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">:: sew more clothes for ethan. i've already started on this goal with a pair of quick change trousers from handmade beginnings (pictured above). i'm thinking a few more pairs of those will be in the works for the spring and likely some overalls. he remains awash in handknit sweaters from me and my mom.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">:: make two quilts. one is already in progress and i have begun thinking about another one. i may have a problem, but it's a very good one to have. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">:: use what we have/ meal plan. this is related to the decluttering goal. our pantry is <i>full</i>. there are jars and jars of dried ingredients that get pushed to the back of the shelf and it is high time to use up some of those ingredients. i'm hoping this will inject some variety into our meals. i have a love/hate relationship with meal planning. i have come to realize that we just will never be strict meal planners, and whenever we try to do that it only lasts a few weeks before we give up. there must be a middle ground...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">:: practice yoga regularly. back in the fall when ethan started sleeping a little better (before he stopped that, but is now back on track, knock on wood), i started to practice yoga for about 15 minutes every morning. i was able to get up a little bit earlier since i wasn't so dead tired from the night but this has gone downhill again. on monday i was able to practice for a full hour and it was absolute bliss.</span></span><br />
<br />
:: reopen <a href="http://www.juliaelise.com/" target="_blank">the shop</a> and keep it stocked. i have loads of ideas for new products and while i recognize that i have a limited capacity to work on my shop, i'm still hoping to carve out a little bit of time each month to work on new products and keep everything stocked well.<br />
<br />
:: blog more regularly and take more non-phone photos. i know i won't be a multiple posts per week blogger like i was way back when, but the unpublished/unwritten posts thing is ridiculous. i have thoughts and projects and photos that i want to share and i'd like to get better about doing that.<br />
<br />
so there you have it. i suppose that's enough to keep me busy, no? most of the way through january and i'm finally sharing this list. do you have any goals or resolutions or hopes and dreams for this year? i know much of the fresh new year feeling has worn off for lots of folks by this now, but i'm still riding it high and i hope you are too.<br />
<br />
back soon. xo</div>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-30406745672288669442014-12-09T11:40:00.000-06:002014-12-10T14:07:16.073-06:00hello december<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15797455470" title="6 december by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="6 december" height="333" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8670/15797455470_88c93dcced.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15798727299" title="8 december by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="8 december" height="333" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8573/15798727299_5cf8242c37.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
how did this happen so quickly? i'm sure you are all wondering quite the same things, so i will skip over the small talk about time flying, etc.<br />
<br />
i have a lot to share, and even a few unpublished posts all written and ready to go, save for that darn photo uploading and editing task. sheesh. but what i wanted to pop in and mention (if there is, in fact, anyone even reading anymore, is there?) that i'll be over at <a href="http://www.habitblog.com/" target="_blank">habit</a> this month, for their very final month of that space. i'll be joining many other wonderful women who have contributed over the past six years of habit and, as always, i am honored and humbled to do so. i have been so inspired by the space that emily, molly, and tara have created there and i will miss it dearly. please join us over there this month for this last hurrah.<br />
<br />
xoJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-12686013425118610382014-10-13T12:16:00.001-05:002014-10-13T12:29:56.294-05:00and somewhere in the midst of all of this, i made a quilt.<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15525409651" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3940/15525409651_c7d7c55be2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15341825840" title="ethanquilt3 by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="ethanquilt3" height="339" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5610/15341825840_d0b8513a8e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15341914218" title="ethanquilt2 by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="ethanquilt2" height="333" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5609/15341914218_22d262d75d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/15505401336" title="ethanquilt1 by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="ethanquilt1" height="355" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/15505401336_1529f0d0b0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
when i was just about 21 weeks pregnant with ethan, jared and i flew to new york to visit my family and some friends. of course, my mom and i paid a little visit to purl soho. she bought some yarn to make him a beautiful fair isle sweater, and treated me to a pack of 1/2 yard fabrics that i was eyeing but was hesitant to splurge on.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
a while later, i picked out blair's <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/70151626/sunshine-medallion-downloadble-quilt?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">sunshine medallions quilt pattern</a> to make for ethan with the fabrics and i filled in some more yellows from my stash and chose kona snow as the main fabric. i had grand visions of <i>at the very least </i>finishing the quilt top before i returned to work in october after ethan was born, but (as i think i mentioned here once before) the fabric sat unwashed until later into the winter. all that time i thought i would have during my maternity leave...ha!<br />
<br />
sometime in february, ethan finally slept long enough (and i was awake enough) for me to start cutting out hundreds of squares of fabric. slowly but surely, the squares were cut out, arranged, and sewn together. i finished the top in april, just before we went to new york again.<br />
<br />
for much of the spring, the top sat nicely folded on the floor in my studio. until i decided that i wanted to have it done by ethan's birthday. and there you had it. i pulled the back together using leftover fabric from our bedroom curtains, with one patchwork square of fabrics from the front. i love having a fun detail on the back of the quilt that reflects the pattern from the front. it makes me think of some advice i once got when i was sewing a fancy dress for myself- no boring linings. i love that.<br />
<br />
anyways. back done, quilt basted. i was <i>just barely</i> able to fit this twin sized quilt through my sewing machine for diagonal quilting lines with some contrasting dark grey thread. and finally, the binding is the same as the back of the quilt. even though it would have been lovely to hand quilt this one, as i did with <a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/its-actually-finished.html" target="_blank">our quilt</a>, and my <a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2010/01/biggest-gift-ive-ever-given.html" target="_blank">best friend's wedding quilt</a>, i knew that it would just never get finished given the limited time i have. so machine it was (i would have tied it if it hadn't fit through the machine).<br />
<br />
and now it's finished. gifted to him just a little less than a week past his birthday. my heart pretty much exploded when i saw his face light up when jared brought him into his bedroom after i put it on his bed while he was in the tub. seriously- he got so excited! now that ethan is consistently spending the whole night in his own bed (with a little help from mama and dada), it's so nice to have this quilt there. jared or i (or, um, occasionally both of us) can lie down with him and feel nice and cozy ourselves too. and clearly, freddie loves it too.<br />
<br />
i love putting him down to sleep, all snuggled up and cozy under the quilt that i made him. and knowing that he won't outgrow this one, like all the sweaters and pants that i've made him so far (at least for many years) is so comforting. seeing him wear and play with and snuggle with items that i have lovingly made just for him is more heartwarming than i ever thought possible.<br />
<br />
all love. </div>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-39621507515921353412014-08-12T11:21:00.000-05:002014-08-12T11:47:54.456-05:00one<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14874695516" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3880/14874695516_a4d9b2ed91.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14897545205" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3848/14897545205_bf2cf22360.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14874561996" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5566/14874561996_83f504e015.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14897195642" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14897195642_9b3b98acf0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14874688516" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3874/14874688516_647ae74652.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
we have officially made it all the way around the sun with this little one. i've said this countless times over the past year, but it truly seems impossible to imagine our lives without him. as hard and exhausting as this year has been, it has been the most incredible year of my life so far. i never knew i could love a person so fiercely and intensely. i never knew i could learn so much from such a tiny person. i never knew i could be so endlessly entertained by such a hilarious and fun and happy little boy.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
besides the celebrating and reminiscing that comes with this day, i also cannot help but reflect on what this day means for me as a mama. one year ago today, i was having the most intense physical experience of my life as i labored and birthed this little one and was myself transformed into a mother. even as i re-read our <a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-story-of-ethans-birth.html" target="_blank">birth story</a>, it still feels surreal that i actually did that and that i was that strong. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
it has been so incredibly amazing to watch him grow, learn, and become who he is today, on his first birthday. i am so lucky to be his mama and i cannot wait to continue to watch him grow. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
we love you, ethan sidney. happy birthday. may the longtime sun shine upon you. </div>
<div>
xoxo<br />
<br />
<i>a few more photos of the birthday celebrations over <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/" target="_blank">here</a>...</i></div>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-51712158242294426462014-07-08T16:14:00.000-05:002014-07-08T16:14:02.116-05:00ethan, currently.<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14421112199" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="325" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/14421112199_b2c7aaab01.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14604450131" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="334" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2938/14604450131_bd75879648.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14605674304" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="352" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/14605674304_b258b550aa.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14584686186" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="328" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/14584686186_f53c6e4bf1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14421311317" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="328" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/14421311317_1ce32ca44b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
since this blog is the closest i have to a baby book for ethan (and a pretty lame one at that), i wanted to write a few other things that he's doing currently. for posterity.<br />
<br />
:: pointing and clapping and sometimes waving. i try to label whatever he's pointing at, but honestly i have no idea most of the time. he also has a new thing where he holds his arm out with his hand palm up, like vanna white or something. he's the great presenter.<br />
<br />
:: talking all the time. or at least, making noises that slightly resemble talking. he sort of has dada and mama down, though he doesn't always say them to us. he's also said a few things that sound strikingly like freddie.<br />
<br />
:: he stands on his own more and more. usually he pulls himself up on something and lets go, but more often now he's started actually standing up on his own. at night he doesn't always want to go to bed (crazy, huh?!) and in the process of crawling around his room, he almost always tips his laundry bin over and dumps everything out. after he's used it as a drum for a while, he wraps his arms around it, squats down, and stands up holding it. it's pretty impressive.<br />
<br />
:: he loves looking at babies. we showed him the birth announcement for my cousin's baby and he thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. we have it hanging on our fridge and he looks at it all the time. actually- he may also know her name too.<br />
<br />
:: he has figured out how to go down the stairs (not face first), which is pretty great.<br />
<br />
:: climbing. into and onto whatever he can (his wagon, the coffee table, a picnic basket, the piano etc.)<br />
<br />
:: figuring stuff out. it's amazing how much joy it brings me to watch him learn and figure stuff out on his own. like how to use his sippy cup on his own. or how to put a peg in a hole or stack some rings on a post or use a shape sorter toy.<br />
<br />
:: picking favorite toys that he becomes glued to for a day or two (wooden spoon, sand toys)<br />
<br />
:: he is definitely a snuggler. which makes me quite happy. and he loves eskimo kisses (is there a more politically correct name for these?). he also has the best giggle known to man. i sincerely hope his laugh never ever changes.<br />
<br />
:: just generally being super fun. sure, he is challenging sometimes and it get super exhausting running after him all the time since he pretty much never sits still, but seriously. he is pretty damn awesome. most of the time i look at him and just smile. because he is the best.<br />
<br />
that's the ethan report for the moment. carry on.<br />
xo<br />
<br />
<i>despite this being a current report (that i originally wrote two weeks ago and now had to update today, like you do), these photos are from a couple of months ago. can't win 'em all, right?</i>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-27705313855068145342014-06-24T14:54:00.002-05:002014-06-24T14:54:34.663-05:00june<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14497227372" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="329" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/14497227372_0406a781ae.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14495035261" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="325" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/14495035261_7f55c6aeb6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
it is june. ethan is fast approaching eleven months. we have begun talking about his birthday party and i have all kinds of fun ideas for a picnic in the park across from our house.<br />
<br />
i keep thinking back to where we were a year ago. we had just returned from our magical weekend up north, where i finally got to go swimming in a beautiful lake. we were starting to think about maybe getting some baby stuff. we had finished our childbirth class and i think it was around late june when we scheduled all of the rest of our midwife appointments through 41 weeks and jared and i looked at each other in disbelief while standing at the reception desk at the birth center. my mom visited for a hot weekend and there was a crazy storm that left us with no power for three days and i slept with cold washcloths on my large belly and we charged our phones in a yarn store. <br />
<br />
but now. here we are. june again. it has been raining like crazy. and it's getting hot. and i have finally gotten my garden (mostly) planted. ethan has not been all that helpful in that department, although he does like eating dirt and is maybe, just maybe, figuring out how to throw a ball for freddie. once that happens, we will be golden.<br />
<br />
the highchair is putting on some mileage as we drag it back and forth between our kitchen and backyard so that we can eat as many meals outdoors as possible. his all-time favorite food seems to be black beans, with strawberries as a close second.<br />
<br />
we are also getting some mileage on the used bike trailer we bought this spring. so far ethan falls right to sleep as soon as we start moving, so i'd call that a success. <br />
<br />
he is not quite walking yet, but he is crazy for pushing his walker wagon around and i brought it to the park last week and he walked almost a whole block's length to the playground! i was pretty amazed. <br />
<br />
we are thinking about some camping trips for this summer. maybe one in late july and another one in september, when it cools down a bit. any tips on camping with a baby? we're also headed to chicago for a weekend next month, got any tips in that department? we've never been and i'm excited to explore the city.<br />
<br />
more soon.<br />
xoJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-75897061450694610462014-05-01T21:50:00.003-05:002014-05-02T13:04:57.629-05:00back in the winter<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14082575331" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="324" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5277/14082575331_a408c89d12.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/13899163249" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="323" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7419/13899163249_8bfa29679d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14086253504" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="322" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/14086253504_dd6d5d5d2e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/14082632392" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="324" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2916/14082632392_e4d57fa204.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/13899161567" title="Untitled by julia elise miller, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="327" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5234/13899161567_eb632200fb.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
hi friends! i know, it's been forever. even more forever since i shot this film (film!) last fall and winter. when it arrived back from being developed (after months of sitting around waiting to be mailed) jared asked me what was on the roll and i said "lots of baby ethan." he seems like a giant compared to the little baby in these shots. and i love them.<br />
<br />
i've been struggling to write a long post about where we've been for the past couple of months since my last post (figuratively...literally, we've been here), but i just can't find the words (or, the time to find the words) right now. so for now. film. and soon, more polaroids. i'm making my way back, very very slowly.<br />
<br />
more soon. promise.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-49064619629843447842014-02-02T19:43:00.002-06:002014-02-03T11:10:16.504-06:00on being intentional, and other ramblings<div>
<div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12280025716/" title="Untitled by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/12280025716_52fc045b5d.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12279480135/" title="Untitled by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/12279480135_c5aaf7af93.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12279627343/" title="Untitled by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/12279627343_16bb98def6.jpg" height="348" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12279485235/" title="Untitled by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3827/12279485235_e266073cb7.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/11829004723/" title="7 january by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="7 january" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/11829004723_c055b65c7b.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>first of all, i'd like to thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart, who took the
time to read <a href="http://minecreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-story-of-ethans-birth.html" target="_blank">our birth story</a> and send kind words our way. i was nervous
about sharing such a personal and intimate story so publicly, but i found so much strength and inspiration in reading the birth
stories of other families, that i felt compelled to share ours. i'm
grateful for the support i've received from you all. </i></div>
<br />
in the meantime...here's what's been happening in our little corner of the world.</div>
as
i'm sure you've heard, it has been incredibly freezing here in the
north tundra. seriously, schools have been closed five times so far this
year just for temperatures! and us hardy minnesotans don't take that
lightly, so you know it's bad. i had many visions of getting outside
everyday in the winter with ethan, snuggled in the ergo (which we have
mostly transitioned to from the moby wrap-though not entirely) in his
down patagonia snowsuit. but seriously, windchills in the negative
thirties are just too damn cold for that. baby or not. so, we've been
snuggling up indoors a lot. i've been knitting more (spreading the love
to all the many many new babies in my life these days), trying to cook
dinner on the regular, hanging out on the living room floor with a baby
that desperately wants to crawl, reading up on ways to feed ethan solid
food, and actually finally starting his quilt (with plans for a quilt
for my brother and his new wife soon to follow).</div>
<div>
<br />
i am quite happy with how i have managed my photo project
for the year so far. i have missed a few days here and there, and most
days (especially when i go to work) i don't snap a photo until late in
the evening, but i am happy that i'm recording my days in this way and
do hope that i keep it up for the year, at least. (again, you can follow
along <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/sets/72157639332670266/with/12182819773/" target="_blank">here</a> if you like). these photos, in fact, were taken about three weeks ago and it is seriously insane how much i can see that his face has changed in that time (he was also getting over a weird virus rash thing then, so i'm sure that's part of it too). just makes me even more grateful that i'm recording our days this way. </div>
<div>
<br />
ethan is finally starting to (some days, kind of) go down
to sleep around 7pm-ish and stay there for a few hours. so i am
savoring that time as we can eat dinner together, and then have longer
chunks of time to actually accomplish things. i try to stay off my
phone/ipad during that time and do something that i just can't do while
ethan is awake. like cutting fabric, or doing something in the kitchen
like making diaper wash or deodorant or crackers. <br />
<br />
i have never been one to choose a word for the new year. sometimes i
make loose resolutions or goals for the year, but not this year. i did
think of a word, without intending to, that i'd like to guide me for the
year. <i>intentional</i>. mostly i mean for
this guide how i spend my time. i want to be intentional with my free
time, since i have so little of it now and i want to use it wisely to do
things that are fulfilling and meaningful so that i feel happy with
what i am able to accomplish. i want to be intentional in how i spend my
time with ethan. especially as he grows older, i want to be a good role
model for him. i want to be intentional with my relationships with
others, friends and family members. more than ever before, as a new
parent i have experienced how meaningful it can be to have strong and
supportive friends and family in your life and i'd like to be that for
others. sending handwritten letters and thoughtful packages is something
that i always love doing (what more could brighten someone's day than a
beautiful, unexpected package from a friend arriving in the mailbox?)
and i want to do more of it this year.<br />
<br />
here
is another one of the sweaters i knit for ethan before he was born.
it's an old lion brand pattern that i made for my cousin's baby years
ago. i really like the kimono style, but the way this one ties is a
little annoying. i think i'd find a different kimono pattern in the
future. i used a super soft cotton/tencel yarn that i had in my stash (on ravelry, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/juliaelise/little-luxury-kimono" target="_blank">here</a>).
oh, and the booties. when i first made them at the beginning of winter,
i thought they were adorable, but i wasn't sure how practical they
would be. well, he's worn them almost every day of this frigid season,
and i've now made two other pairs for more of the new babes in my life
this year (on ravelry, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/juliaelise/babys-booties-knit" target="_blank">here</a>).
like i've said, this baby is definitely not wanting for handknit
sweaters, or anything else. i already have two more that i've finished for him, not to
mention my mom and others who are keeping him well stocked for this
insane winter and many more to come, i'm sure.</div>
<br />
so that's
the news from here. cold days, a little bit better sleep and more free
time, and more intention in my days. how about you all? what's happening
out there?<br />
<br />
xo<br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-3393547397534310712014-01-21T15:47:00.001-06:002014-01-21T15:47:18.404-06:00the story of ethan's birth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12075346126/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="ethan by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="ethan" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7384/12075346126_32d0d7c06c.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
here it is, friends. believe it or not, this is actually the <i>abbreviated</i>
version of our birth story. i figured the whole world didn't need to
read every tiny detail that i remembered and wrote down in the original
version because i want to preserve every bit that i possibly can and my
memory these days (especially when it comes to our birth experience) is,
well, less than perfect. it took me a few months to get around to
sitting down and writing this all out and then a few more months for me
to refine it and go over it with jared. after all, this story belongs to
both of us. so, almost six months later, here it is for those
interested...the story of ethan's birth.<br />
<br />
<i>(this post also appeared on the <a href="http://bloomablog.com/birth-story-still-cant-believe/" target="_blank">blooma blog</a>.
blooma is a yoga studio and community that played such an important
role in my pregnancy and our preparation for birth. i so cherish the
community i found there. also, all photos were taken by our amazing
doula, brook.)</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12074998673/" title="ethan by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="ethan" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/12074998673_85ca5f53b4.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a>
</div>
<br />
The story of Ethan’s birth begins the Friday before he was born.<br />
<br />
We had gone to the<a href="http://theminnesotabirthcenter.com/" target="_blank"> birth center</a> for our 39 week appointment that morning. (it was the<br />
end of the 39<sup>th</sup>
week, so it was really just a few days before my guess date). I had not
had any contractions or signs of early labor and really had a feeling
that I would have my baby later the next week at the earliest — a week
or so late. We spent the visit discussing what would happen if we came
back the next week still with no signs of labor. We discussed induction
options and whether or not I would make an appointment with my
chiropractor for later the next week to try to get things going (I was
planning on that). After the appointment, I was feeling a little
discouraged that nothing was happening. I dropped Jared off
at home and went to work as usual.<br />
<br />
By the end of my day at work, I noticed a little bit of bleeding and I
was starting to feel a little crampy. I hurried up and finished my work
so I could leave early since I didn’t know what was going on. By the
time I got home, I told Jared something was definitely different. I had
no idea if it was the real thing or not, but something was happening.<br />
<br />
That night the cramping continued and there were some waves of more
intense cramping. I later realized that these were contractions, but
since I hadn’t had any Braxton-Hicks or early contractions, and they
didn’t feel like I had expected, I didn’t realize for a while that
that’s what was happening. I remember feeling a little sad that night
that if things got more intense, I would have to miss prenatal yoga the
next morning. Going to <a href="http://bloomablog.com/video-prenatal-yoga-sun-salutations-brook/" target="_blank">Brook’s Saturday morning classes</a> was such a ritual throughout my entire pregnancy and I didn’t want to miss having a “last class.”<br />
<br />
I woke up Saturday morning and still felt pretty good, so I headed to
yoga. I knew it would be my last class and I savored every moment. At
the end of the class, <a href="http://www.borealbirth.com/" target="_blank">Brook</a>
(who was also our doula) sent her energy to me and one other mama who
was due in the next couple of days. Afterwards, she asked me how I was
doing and I told her that something was definitely going on and
described to her how I was feeling. She looked very excited and told me
to just call her whenever I was ready.<br />
<br />
After yoga, I stopped at the farmer’s market because I wanted to get
some of the delicious Bayfield blueberries that we had been eating for a
few weeks. It’s a good thing I did that because those blueberries
turned out to be just about all ate once we got to the birth center
later on. (We keep joking that all I ate during Ethan’s birth was nine
blueberries!)<br />
<br />
When I got home, Jared called the Birth Center and talked to the
midwife on call, Mary-Signe. She said it definitely sounded like early
labor, but she wasn’t sure if it was the real thing or not. She
suggested going on a walk. So we went to the dog park. I was so happy to
be there, even though I was having contractions the whole time. It is a
special place for us and it felt fitting to be there at this time. It
was a beautiful day.<br />
<br />
My contractions continued the rest of the day and by dinnertime I
decided we should start timing them. I think they were about eight
minutes apart at that time. After dinner, we watched a movie in bed. I
was woken up all night long by contractions but I tried to sleep through
them as much as possible.<br />
<br />
By Sunday morning, we knew this was the real thing. Jared called
Mary-Signe again and she agreed. I took a bath and tried to nap. We went
for a walk with our dog around the neighborhood. It was the Powderhorn
Art Fair so there were tons of people in the park and around the
neighborhood. It was crazy. We totally made a scene on the walk since I
kept having to stop and lean on Jared during contractions.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/12074997063/" title="ethan by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="ethan" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/12074997063_a64055e4c5.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
While I was resting upstairs in the afternoon, I remember Jared was
really busy downstairs cleaning up the kitchen and taking care of the
dog. We went for a second walk later in the afternoon.<br />
Jared kept in touch with Mary-Signe and Brook. Mary-Signe was
concerned that I wasn’t getting enough rest and she said I should take
some Benadryl to help me sleep. I took the Benadryl around 7 p.m. and
was able to get about an hour and a half of sleep. After that, I wanted
Brook to come, so Jared called her and I got in the shower. I had just
gotten out when she arrived at around 11 p.m.<br />
I think we spent most of the time she was at our house lying on the
bed. I remember one moment lying there and Brook pointed out that she
could see the baby kicking through my skin. I could feel him moving the
whole time. I threw up in the bedroom.<br />
<br />
Around 2 a.m. Monday morning we started talking about going to the
Birth Center. Jared called and Mary-Signe said we should come in about
45 minutes. That felt like forever to me. It had started pouring by that
point. I threw up again while Brook and I were getting ready to go. We
put some couch cushions in the car for me to ride in the back on my
hands and knees. The five minute drive to the Birth Center felt like an
hour.<br />
<br />
We pulled up and Mary-Signe met us in the parking lot and brought us
inside. I wanted so badly to get in the tub, but we all knew things had
slowed down and I was afraid she would tell me not to. She said it was
okay so I threw off my clothes and got in. After about an hour in the
tub, Lindsay, the student midwife, checked my dilation. We had never
decided if I wanted to know the number or not so once she checked, she
asked if I wanted to know and I said I didn’t know. She said it was good
news so I said okay — I was at 7cm!<br />
<br />
After that, I stayed in the tub for a long time, maybe four or five
hours. At some point, the midwives’ shift changed and Mary-Signe left
and Tanya came in. Lindsay stayed. After a while, Lindsay checked my
dilation again and didn’t immediately tell me what it was. I was waiting
for her to tell me something and finally she said that there hadn’t
been much progress. I later found out that there had been no progress. I
am so glad she didn’t tell me that at the time! At that point, they got
me out of the tub, which I didn’t want to do but I knew I had to.<br />
<br />
I don’t really remember the order of what happened after that but I
was on the bed, on the toilet, in the shower with Jared, on a peanut
ball in the shower, doing squats in the shower, even doing an inversion
off the couch. (Clearly, all that prenatal yoga had been extremely
important in preparing me for my labor). I threw up in the bathroom on
the floor. I guess I was able to rest on the bed for about half an hour,
though I don’t remember this at all.<br />
<br />
All this time, I was definitely getting the sense that there was a
chance they would have to send us across the street to the hospital if
things didn’t pick up. I really didn’t want that to happen so I tried to
stay focused and I followed their coaching and suggestions, even if I
thought I couldn’t do it because I was so tired. Since there hadn’t been
any progress, the midwives suggested that they break my water. They
said things would get really intense once that happened and they left us
alone to decide. I was scared for things to get more intense, but I
knew that was going to happen no matter what and Brook recommended that I
do it. So I did. I laid on the bed and Lindsay and Tanya broke my
water. And things got more intense.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/9513135822/" title="ethan sidney by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="ethan sidney" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/9513135822_01df56a6d7.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Despite the new level of intensity, things hadn’t picked up enough
and they started talking about acupuncture. At that point, they sent
Jared and me into the bathroom to try nipple stimulation. Apparently
that worked and the acupuncture wasn’t necessary. I started to feel the
urge to push, so I did, but I also kind of forced myself to push even
though my body wasn’t always telling me to.<br />
I just wanted the baby out. I wanted help. I said that. And I said that I couldn’t do it.<br />
<br />
Everyone was so encouraging and kept telling me that I could do it.
Towards the end of my pregnancy, Jared and I had talked about what
phrases and words he might say to me during labor. None of the suggested
Hypnobirthing phrases that we had learned in our class felt natural to
us and I didn’t have any words I felt strongly about. I kept telling
Jared that he would know what to say when the time came, but he wasn’t
sure. Brook had even told him that he could say the same phrase to me
over and over again and I wouldn’t care. Once I was actually in labor,
he said “nice and easy” to me probably four hundred times. And it was
perfect. It helped me stay relaxed and feel comforted throughout my
entire labor.<br />
<br />
I got back in the tub to push and Jared got in the tub with me. It
was where I wanted to be, but I just couldn’t get comfortable. There
wasn’t enough room for both of us and I was having excruciating pain in
my hips every time I pushed. So I got out and got on the bed. I pushed
on the bed for a while.<br />
I remember the delivery nurse, Suzanne, showed up around this point
and I knew that was a good sign. It meant we were getting close. Then
they had me get onto a birthing stool. I really didn’t want to do this,
but again, I knew I had to, so I just did it.<br />
<br />
While I was on the stool, Jared was doing the nipple stimulation
again. I made a lot of progress on the stool, but it wasn’t comfortable
and I wanted to get back on the bed. I was holding my legs up and
pushing as hard as I could. Even though I had been pretty open minded
about how I might give birth, lying on the bed on my back was not a
position I had ever envisioned, but it’s where it was working, so I went
with it.<br />
<br />
While I was pushing, Tanya would firmly tell me when I was doing it
right and that I needed to keep doing it that way. I would listen to
what she was saying, and look at Lindsay and Suzanne who were smiling
big smiles and giving me thumbs up when I would do a good push. Brook
was on my right side and Jared was on the bed to my left. Once the baby
was crowning, they held up a mirror so I could see his head coming out. I
never thought that I would want to see that, but I did. It was so
motivating.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/9513186282/" title="ethan sidney by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="ethan sidney" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7447/9513186282_bfd1ac381e.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
It took about two and a half hours, but finally his head came out.
After his head was out, I remember feeling something crazy and they said
it was the baby twisting so his shoulders could come out. I pushed a
few more times and the rest of his body came out and they put him on my
chest right away. He was screaming and screaming and screaming. I
couldn’t believe we had done it, that it was all over, finally.<br />
<br />
They suctioned his nose and mouth and he finally stopped screaming. I
didn’t remember to look right away, but they asked me and I said it was
a boy. A boy! We just held him and held each other. I couldn’t believe it.<br />
<br />
Thinking back on those days, I still can’t believe that I did it. I
can’t imagine anything in my life that could make me feel as strong as
giving birth to my baby.<br />
<br />
Ethan Sidney Miller was born naturally on August 5, his due date.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/9513203226/" title="ethan sidney by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="ethan sidney" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/9513203226_dc2765a3bd.jpg" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029445551851503766.post-2603445459314193402014-01-13T10:26:00.000-06:002014-01-13T10:34:16.869-06:00day to day<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/11722977834/" title="2 january by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="2 january" height="334" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5522/11722977834_53aa91f222.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/11788443143/" title="4 january by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="4 january" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/11788443143_878c78f0da.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/11829004723/" title="7 january by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="7 january" height="333" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/11829004723_c055b65c7b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/11912152155/" title="11 january by julia:elise, on Flickr"><img alt="11 january" height="333" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3676/11912152155_fd5c1d8681.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
here
we are, a couple of weeks into 2014. as i've mentioned just a few times
over the past year, i continue to be amazed (overwhelmed? frightened?
delighted?) by the way that days just fly by now. so much has happened in the last year. from my pregnancy to ethan's birth to his nonstop growth, i haven't wanted to miss a moment.<br />
<br />
i
also want to get back to my love of photography. since ethan was born,
probably 95% of the photos i've taken have been of him. and mostly
digital. i have had a roll of film in my 35mm for months and i can't
remember the last time i even picked up the yashica, my love. the polaroid has fared a little better, but i need to capture this baby on some peel apart film. if only he'd stay still for a moment...<br />
<br />
so.
with all that in mind, and the encouragement of some old & dear
flickr friends, i have decided to document this year on an <i>almost</i>
daily basis. a photo, maybe accompanied by a brief description of the
day. or a word. or maybe no words at all. i am calling the project <i>day to day</i>.
i don't expect to take and/or post a photo every day of the year, but i
will try to do so as much as possible. you can keep up with the project
over on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minecreations/sets/72157639332670266/with/11912152155/" target="_blank">flickr</a> and i'm sure i'll periodically post some favorites here on the blog.<br />
<br />
as
usual, i have a backlog of posts half-composed in my head that i'm
itching to share. all those trips, all that knitting...it'll come soon
enough.<br />
<br />
happy new year, friends. i hope it brings good things your way.<br />
xoJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01710106273998131443noreply@blogger.com0