So, as near as I can tell, our Baby Mod Roxanne Crib is part of the widespread recall of drop-side cribs.  I tweeted this morning that I was angry about that and I want to clarify–I’m not angry that the cribs are being recalled.  Mistakes are made–they’re trying to correct the mistake and insure that everyone is safe.  Great!  No problem.  I can work with that.
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Tallulah's First Photoshoot (October 2009)

I’m pregnant. It’s a girl; we’re expecting her on or about April 21st of next year and we’re going to call her Tallulah. (Haven’t settled on a middle name yet. Once we do, I’ll probably go ahead and get a blog set up for her.  Because, well… we’re those people.)

We’ve kept if off the internet up to this point for a variety of reasons, the most pressing of which being that my pregnancy with Henry was a harrowing experience–more emotionally than physically. My body handled it well, but as a result of two previous miscarriages, my mind was a nervous wreck. In addition, I lost my maternal grandmother in a brutal battle with COPD [note to loved ones: please quit smoking] during which I was lucky enough to be at her bedside. I wouldn’t trade that time with her at the end for anything, but… Anyway, I fell behind on some deadlines.

So, when we got the news about this kid, while overjoyed, I was afraid sharing that news might make editors understandably jumpy about assigning me work. And with the relocation… well, we just aren’t in a position for me to take an extended leave of absence. (Nor would I want to; I like what I do for a living and feel incredibly blessed to earn my keep this way.)

ANYWAY, work has been going swimmingly, we’ve got a fantastic childcare situation here in Portland, we’re more than half-way through the pregnancy [sans drama, knock wood!] and we’ve gone ahead and shared the news with family and clients… Our life here is pretty peaceful and my stress-level this go-round so low that, well, I feel silly keeping it a “secret” anymore.

(Of course this makes perfect sense, but I still find it amusing: during my pregnancy with Henry everything was so new and so exciting/scary. I was *obsessed* with every detail. This time… well, I’ve got a two year old and a job and I sometimes just forget I’m pregnant. Often, in fact. Then I get a swift kick in the bladder and all is recalled, but yeah… very different second time around.)

So there you go. We’re having a baby. Well… not right this minute, but come April. T-A-L-L-U-L-A-H.

Okay: back to work.

Found this on UrbanMamas.com:

Art and motherhood: A difficult combination?: “

At Wordstock last month, I sat in on several readings and discussions by writer mamas, and recently I’ve been very closely following other mothers and writers on Twitter and Facebook. I’ll admit to a fascination that’s part curiosity and part … jealousy? longing? … as I watch them juggle motherhood and their art. From a distance, it seems they’re doing it better than me.

I’ve finally gotten to the point where I believe I could finish my book proposal any day (really!) and I’m finally having a essay published in print this month. After years writing online, I’m coming into this artist-writer bit, slowly, with lots of squeaking and complaints from my family. It’s been hard, especially on those nights where my oldest has decided to go off melatonin, a gentle sleep aid we’d been using to good effect, and I must restart the process of coaching him on calming himself. For three hours.

A friend Tweeted she was locked in her bedroom this weekend, finishing a few last chapters of her book as her husband wrangled her boys. Another acquaintance, a writer dad, seems as if he’s frequently out of town on book readings and fabulous events, trading off childcare duty and glamorous writer things with his poet wife. I asked an author I admired at Wordstock how she managed to write with children — and she’s a single mother, having adopted a little girl internationally. ‘Very expensive childcare,’ she answered.

Then yesterday, I read in the Oregonian about this fabulous couple here in Portland. They’re both visual artists and she’s an accomplished writer. They’re gorgeous and cute and funny and successful. They have a three-month-old baby. I’m so jealous! (On the same page: a story about the Decemberists’ guitarist and his lovely girlfriend, Seann McKeel, who’ve started a series of concerts for children and parents to help entertain their three-year-old child. She’s also an artist. Oh!)

In my house, juggling art and motherhood don’t go that well. A two-year-old literally hangs from my arm when I’m in the middle of typing an especially inspired sentence. I go to a coffee shop to write for three hours, and when I come home, the slow cooked meal I’d begun has burnt and homework hasn’t been done — my husband was focused on the littlest and his nap, the laundry…

Are you, too, trying to combine some passion — whether it’s writing, art, a political or non-profit endeavor, or a really rewarding job — and motherhood? How have you managed? Do you sometimes feel that everyone but you is doing great? Or do you have secrets, tricks of the trade, that make it all come together?”

(Via urbanMamas.)

I have a lot of guilt around how much TV I let HL watch. But I’m not sure how else I’m supposed to get anything done.

Study Says: Kids Watch A Lot of TV!: “When it comes to TV, how much is too much for your kid? According to a Nielsen study released earlier this week, children ages 2-5 watch more than 32 hours of TV per week. Older children ages 6-11 watch more than 28 hours per week—but that’s because they spend more time in school. That’s a [...]“

(Via Kiwilog – Growing Families the Organic Way.)

Henry got hold of my reed diffuser this morning and got home fragrance oil all over his hands and mouth. I freaked out, ran upstairs and woke Fraction with the phrase everyone wants to hear as they greet the day: “We have to call poison control.” Before I scare any of you, let me be clear: HENRY IS FINE. We have to take his temperature for the next few hours; the concern is that if he aspirated the oil he could develop pneumonia so we’re watching for those signs, but the nurse who’s calling to check on us every few hours assures me that in 27 years, she’s never seen it happen in a home fragrance oil incident. Henry’s not coughing and his breathing isn’t weird and these are all good signs. We gave him milk, wiped out his mouth and washed his hands and face as instructed. They said he should go about his regular routine so he’s down for a nap now.

I’m just now coming down off the adrenaline rush of terror and I’m feeling a bit wonky — sore shoulders, a little nauseous, little bit of a lump in my throat and I’m kind of hyper. Fraction gets husband and dad of the year for calming me down, assuring me that these things happen that it doesn’t make me a bad mother and that Henry is going to be fine. While I cleaned the kitchen like a woman possessed, he gave HL pony rides on his back all around the livingroom. He’s down for a nap now, too.

Speaking of chilling out, the price is utterly outrageous, but look what Danielle found: a KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON rug. I really ought to frame my poster.

Thank you for coming to live with us.

We don’t let him watch TV per se, but we do occasionally let him watch his own YouTube videos. He’s mesmerized by them and sometimes he’ll even mimic himself.

Here, Kara is using his ooOOOoo video to calm him down.

The messy desk is mine. Sorry.

[Ack.  I meant to post this to henryleo.com.  Xposted now.  Oops.]

Parents:

• Henry Leo’s probably going to start on solid foods at the beginning of March. I read the chapter on solids in my handy Sears book and found this blog post interesting as well (also this). Anything else I should check out? This book looks appealing, but the reviews appear to be mixed. (If you’re going to tell me I’m over-thinking this, please don’t. Newsflash: I over-think everything. It’s part of my charm.)
• HL’s good in his infant car seat to 20 pounds or (and/or?) 26 inches. He’s currently 17 pounds and — ha ha! — 25 and 3/4 inches. Sooooo, I’m gonna start looking for a new car seat. I’ve heard good things about Britax, but I’m open to tips.

• HL is sick. I sucked about a teaspoon of snot out of his nose with the bulb syringe this morning. Poor guy. Kara’s here watching him now; she’s a life-saver as I have a script to wrap up that I promised yesterday, “hell or high water.” Does an ice storm count as high water?
• In happier news, the splinter that’s been festering in my left index finger for 4 days finally gave up the ghost this morning. No sign of actual infection, either.
• We survived the ice storm. It wasn’t that bad, honestly. We never lost power and we had a house full of groceries so we didn’t have to venture out.
• Coffee is my friend.
• I made some difficult decisions about work and motherhood this weekend. More on that later.
• We’re tracking HL’s sleep again. In about a month, we’re going to try and institute regular nap and bed times. (This is dependent upon my getting the contents of our closet out of his nursery, of course.) I’ll let you know how it goes.
• Ivan and Kristyn are in South America.
• I’m on Day Three of my NO SWEETS/NO BREAD Two-Week resolve. So far, so good. Feeling better, though my appetite is still through the roof. That could be either stress or nursing or some combination of both. (Of course, our amazing neighbors, Kelly and Michael, brought over a box of goodies last night that nearly knocked me off the wagon. Rum cake, biscotti and homemade chocolate macaroons. I nearly died from the craving. Luckily, Fraction took the biscotti and macaroon bullets for me and Tony enjoyed the rum cake with coffee this morning. Disaster avoided!)
• I am having lots of IDEAS right now. I have to assume this is because I don’t have the time to follow through with them.
• If you want to play The Sixty One, go sign up and put Xtop down as your referrer. He gets points for it. I’m musically retarded (as is well-established), but I expect some of you might enjoy it.
• My psoriasis — the stuff that disappeared with my pregnancy? It’s back. My legs are growing hair again, too. (Mrroa!) Oh, well. I suppose the bright side is that my body chemistry must be returning to normal.
• EDITED TO ADD: Nikol’s calendars are up for sale.  Uberlisters will want to pick one up for sure.  This year?  Year of the Spitfire.

Decided on an exersaucer. Now: trying to decide between this one and this one. Any opinions/guidance?