understanding Ninj-stitch-su

my chibi Hulk, ripping down one of our vertical blinds

Sephira's awesome "just rolled out of bed" hair

Cutest bedhead EVER!

Heartbreaking blues!

Sephira, bright eyed and very bushy tailed this morning. We had a little photo shoot while Azy was still sleeping.  I love all those curly locks!  She was born with that full head of hair and it has become soo glamorous!

"should I go this way then?"

baby window fogging

daily squats routine

"what should I make"

"this goes really nice right here"

"No thanks. We already gets the newspaper."

Laying blinds and droppin' rhymes

Interest:

broken vertical blind v.s. the vent...

pretty cute, I think

"Oh no!  The zombies are back!"

..."and they've grown in numbers...!"

So, I'm a working mom.  And I sleep share.  I know, I know, when Azy was first born I was all high and mighty about the unsafe nature of sleep-sharing.  But when she was three months old, and I had to go back to work from maternity leave, sleep was not being had... by anyone.  Azriella was a super light sleeper and just putting her down in her crib and then taking that one step away from that crib I would cringe..."CREAK."  ARGH!  Repeat repeat repeat...  One night I just gave in, kept her super safe  on my side of the bed rested on the nook of my arm and I never looked back.  I'm a ridiculously light sleeper and I don't move around much... and at this point I have pretty much perfected the skill of baby sleep sharing.

For those who sleep share too check this

website

out.  I laughed so hard I almost peed myself.

So, now there's four of us in that bed, and I've literally become a sleep magnet.  With Sephie on one side and Azy on the other both all curled into me, my husband looks like he's on an island; he's so far away from me!  

What does this have to do with the original post, you say? Well, I don't get to do any late night sewing like other moms (especially since I work at night anyway), so during the day is when I get my stitching done.  (

My darling husband does most of the house cleaning when

he

gets home

.) This means I have to get creative when it comes to getting things done (and I do get my sewing done!).  

I've developed, what I like to call, Nin-stitch-su, a not so ancient art-form of making a garment while in the presence of a sleeping or cranky baby.   It's a very useful skill, without which I would have just thrown in the fabric months ago.  I will tell you of my observances, my little grasshoppers:

1. Stitch slowly. I usually keep my precious down for naps during the day in the pack-n-play next to me in my sewing room. Sewing machines may like to boast that they are quiet, but really who are they trying to kid? Needless to say, serging is a hit or miss feat! If you've ever serged whilst in the same room as a sleeping child, you know the sound is on a parallel to jackhammering. My husband affectionately calls it "the Chunker". I constantly have to stop. Wait. Watch her drift off again. Then slooowwly start chunking again.To accomplish anything it helps to combine this step with the next one:

2. Have loud background noise. I used to walk on pins and needles when Az was a baby, but when Sephira came along, there was just no question: she was going to have to deal with noise. If I have Netflix on my computer while I sew, then all the better. As long as human voices are:

3. Keep voices to a low volume or not at all. Azriella is just such a culprit for springing forth from the door with some remarkable exclamation only to find her sister nursing to sleep in my lap. She's getting better though.

4. Snacks. Cheerios and lil' baby cheese puffs keep crying eyes and prying hands busy :-)

5. Distractions are a girls best friend. Once upon a time, my sewing room was a tidy little haven, with a clear floor and organized trims. But the toys have taken over and really anything that makes a sound. Baby crack: Yo Gabba Gabba. Sephira loves it! And alas, some of my trims have been compromised for the greater good. But I gotta tell you, it keeps her and the four year old busy for a solid 15 mins.

9. Ahhh, the magic of trims!

15. Nurse and play and take lots of breaks. I don't lose track of the fact that this is precious time with my baby so I take lots of breaks to hold and canoodle and kiss my sweet, little, adorable, loveable, infinitely fascinating baby girl.

 Any questions??