Connecticut Tragedy

When tragedies like this happen, we often wish the shooter hadn't killed himself for two reasons...

1. We want to ask him, "Why?"
2. We want to see justice done.

But there is no "Why" that can explain, justify, excuse, or soften our judgement of such villains.

And there is justice. Eternal and inescapable justice. When a servant has served his master so well as such a man has served Satan's purposes, he will reap an eternal reward for his specific kind of faithfulness. I do believe that.

BK

Eye Boogers

We've got eye goop in the house.

I don't know what causes clogged tear ducts, but I woke up to green boogers on Eames' face. Boo hoo... I just hate to see him looking like he might be suffering. Seems like every time we're around big groups he gets some ailment.

I'm doctoring with warm compress, duct massage, and... drum roll please... breastmilk. It's full of antibodies and germ fighting white blood cells. I do the compresses and massage while he feeds because he is calm and still.... then when he is done eating... SQUIRT SQUIRT!! Into the eyes go a stream of milk.

My attempt to cure his acne by the same means totally backfired! LOL! Now my husband laughs at me every time I squirt milk in our son's face...

This time it'll work.

I love finding home based solutions for sickness. I'm not a total nature mom... most of the nature moms think I'm a yuppie! But our bodies are amazing and designed to heal themselves if we give them a little boost in the right direction. My father was ever-so-briefly an emergency medicine doctor, and he got so fed up with mothers rushing their child to the ER for antibiotics at the slightest sniffle. With my admiration for the power of the human body & my father's angst ringing in my ears, I find it empowering to find natural ways to help my son reach full health again.

That's all for now,

The KawaMama
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Christmas Carded

I'm addressing my Christmas cards to all you good little boys and girls... and I gotta tell you, they are beautiful!

I'm just dying to show you ALL the Christmas cards I've been working on... but since they are for private clients the only responsible thing to do is to preserve their Holiday secrets until they are delivered.

The same goes for my cards... you'll have to wait and see! But keep your eyes peeled... HoHoHo.

The KawaMama

The Tree Hunt

The infamous Christmas Tree Hunt!  When I was a kid, the Tree Hunt consisted of shouldering an axe, tromping through the woods, hacking down approximately 3 scrubby pine-like bushes, lashing them together, & sticking this conglomerate in a bucket of water.  The awkward stepchild of an evergreen would be forthwith covered in lights and ornaments, and live out its final days under the complimentary epithet of "Tree."

Now that I live in the city where axe-wielding in people's backyards is summarily frowned upon, we set out for Home Depot....

Underneath the fragrant tent, we discussed the merits of branch strength, height vs. width, and Frasier vs. Douglas (pssh! not even a debate!). Our little beauty was easy to spot in the thicket... and of course we had to photo-document...

Eames went from tolerant... to annoyed... to angry (mommy trying to coax)... to angry (mommy gives up and pouts too)... tooooooo.... asleep. Whew. Christmas tree hunting is hard work.

After a nap, he enjoyed the lights on the finished product.

 

All in a day's work.

Special thanks to the best supporting actor... Kawa Papa.

Cheers,
KawaMama

Oh! Oh, I See.

I always poo-pooed the people who told me, "You'll have your hands full with that baby!" 

What? It's a baby! It can't go anywhere... it eats, stares at stuff, cries, sleeps, repeat. "Those" people must be easily flummoxed. I'll be rolling in free time.

Mmm. Yes. Well. I stand corrected..... on top of a pile of laundry & dishes & unmailed ThankYou notes, with a baby on one boob, a breast pump on the other, a pail of diapers in hand, a spare paci dangling from my teeth, and client orders balancing on my unwashed head.

Here's the truth, it's not hard work... it's just a lot of little things that only leave you with time to get things done in 45 minute intervals every three hour cycle. During one of those 45 minute intervals, you look around at the To Do List and think, "Dear god, I need a nap!" because you never sleep more than 2.5 hrs at a stretch. During the next cycle you think, "I guess I should eat..." not because you care, but just to keep your milk supply up.  During the next you think, "I need to pump!" so you can build your frozen milk stash in case you die or ever want to be more than 5 feet from your baby for more than 2 hrs in the coming year. Oh yeah, and the dog should eat and go out... and visiting my friend, the Toilet, has to happen in there somewhere. By this time you're 9hrs in, thanking God you wore your excercise clothes to bed so, if anyone comes over, it looks like you got dressed this morning.

But here's the good news:  My whole life I've berated & hated myself for not doing enough. For the first time, I can honestly look at the debacle around me and think, "I'm AWESOME!!! I am single handedly sustaining life in a human!!"  Oh, and PS, I made it too. =) With my belly. Hands free.

And I typed this whole post with one hand... because, you guessed it, I'm nursing.

Cheers,
The KawaMama

(As you can clearly see, these pictures were taken by me, and have nothing to do with this post.)

Story Time: Adventures in Lolly Land

Once upon a time.... It took all of four days to have a "Panic Moment" in Parenting Land.

It all started with Groupon. We bought two Groupons for the local asian fusion restaurant Ele. My mom (who's grandma title is currently "Lolly") is in town helping us through the first week.  She offered to keep Sweet Baby while we met friends for a dinner. The experience was great, all was well.... until we got in the car to head home. I noticed a message from an unknown Savannah number on my phone.  It was my sister, Anna: 

"Blair... I think you need to head home now..." *hang up*

I looked at David and said, "They called from a Savannah number... that makes me worried... why would they do that?" -- He started driving, and I called back.

"ELLO!?" (Raspy Savannah ghetto neighbor voice.... not my mom or my sister... uuuhh....)

"Hi, I got a call from this number..."

"Oh yeah. Yo mama don' locked hersef out dah house! I let her use my phone." *hang up*

That was the whole conversation. In the blink of an eye, I'm thinking: "Oh my god... is the baby inside, and she is locked outside? Is the dog eating the baby? Is the baby suffocating under a blanket? Is the baby locked outside without a blanket in the cold? What's the worst that could happen?..... That's probably going on right now, and I'm on the other side of town, relaxing with a red curry!"

"DAVID!!! DRIVE!!!"

(I'm not gonna lie, there might have been a moment of hyperventilating before I reigned it in.)

We got home. No sign of huddled masses on the front step. We bolted into the house...

Lolly and Anna were cheerfully grilling chicken for dinner... baby was snoozing placidly in his chair. Mom took one look at our saucer eyes and panic stricken expressions and couldn't stiffle a little, "Tee hehe! Oops."

Long story short... all was well... baby was with them, bundled up snuggly warm... my neighbors are fabulous & accomodating... and I got my first taste of the absolute animal intensity instinct to protect my child. Wow. Life's lessons are already coming down the pipe hot and heavy. Thank goodness for family that keep their heads cool in bad situations and keep smiles on their faces through bumpy roads.

The end.

The KawaMama

He's here...

Eames Walter Kawa has made his appearance!

on October 24, 2012 at 12:38 pm
8 pounds, 8.4 ounces - 19 inches long

Birth story, fantastically cute photos, and mom-er-hood anecdotes to follow...
For more labor photos, visit Sarah Kohut Photography in the coming days.

Couldn't Be Happier,
The KawaMama

P.S. Our Internet at home is regrettably down. A brief "new baby" hiatus may ensue, but we'll be back ASAP.

Baby Shower a.k.a. Glamorous Fete

The ingredients for an absolutely fabulous party are simple.... food, friends & a little sparkle will do it... but when brilliant people get a hold of simple things, they become EXQUISITE!!

A few months ago (yes, I'm tardy to present) my dear friends concocted a surprise fete to honor little BabyKawa & KawaMama.  Mint & Gold formed a charming theme that ran throughout desserts, decor, & delicious delicacies.  I was blown away by the attention to detail, and I know you'll love every inch.

Erica Kelly & Aeriel Whitworth deserve gobs and gobs of credit for their ingenuity, sumptuous taste, and hard work.  I'm convinced, these gals could turn an old shoe into a work of art! 

A little polish and a unified color scheme goes a long way to turning a Fun Gathering into a Glam Fete. Thanks a million ladies... it was an evening I will never forget.

Cheers,
The KawaMama

(All photos are the original work of KawaMama. Pin them and Blog them lots! But link back to us.)

Strong is What You Have Left...

Labor & Delivery is about mental power.

People like to compare Labor & Delivery to running a marathon.

My husband is a marathoner who trained competitively with Olympic level athletes.  He's good.  He's real good.  He says the last 3 miles of those 26, the only thing that keeps you putting one foot in front of the other is the knowledge that you're one more desperate step closer to the end.

I asked him, "What if there was someone next to you the whole time holding a magic pill that would take away all the exhaustion and let you finish without the agony... and it was totally ok, totally acceptable, no shame, no judgement, just part of the game, par for the course... would you take it?"

I want to labor naturally.  That's insane.  That's freaking INSANE.  Yeah, women have done it for thousands of years... but we don't have to any more!  And the outcome is pretty much the same. We've got a "magic pill" now that is remarkably safe for mother and baby. Side effects so incredibly, infinitesimally small that not taking it is almost ridiculous. But I want to do it.

But can I?  With that "magic pill" sitting right there within my reach the whole time... just knowing that there is a door out might make the struggle harder... I don't know...

Strong is what you have left when you've used up all your weak.

I'm pumping myself up for game day.

This is my Intense Face.

Focused,
The KawaMama

PS If taking the door out is the right thing for me & my husband, I'm going to take it... and if you judge me or think less of me, so help me God, I will show you what else Strong is good for! =) This is my other Intense Face.

XOXOXO

I've been tootling away in Graphic Design land again today.

I wanted to make a set of chic greeting cards with a sorta-kinda-holiday inspiration... which would nevertheless work as every day love notes also.

I came up with "Hugs & Kisses."  The hand drawn quality and the iconic simplicity are very charming, if I do say so myself.

Do you have a favorite?  Are you an X's or an O's kinda person? 

I've gotta go O's...

Cheers!
The KawaMama


Design, Design, Ahead of Time

People tell me all the time, "When baby comes you won't even have time to shower!!"

"Lucky" for me, Baby Kawa will be arriving just in time for the Holiday bustle... & it struck me that I might want to go ahead & design my birth annoucements or thank you cards.

I came up with this whimsical design based on baby blocks & Alphabet flash cards.  The message is tres tres appropo!  "T is for Tired Thankful"

 

 

 

Now that I've revealed them, I'll end up designing something else!  But they're pretty cute, huh?  

 

I toyed around with the idea of start a little "Etsy Printables" shop... you could buy the high resolution design file and print it yourself... or just email it to your friends and family to save the cost of postage.  I could do custom colors & of course custom designed orders. 

 

I think it could be the next generation version of the Paperie!

 

La dee dah... I love to dream...

What do you think? 

 

Cheers,

The KawaMama

Nerd Goggles & Other Eyewear

This weekend found me donning my nerd goggles & writing some revised contracts for a Business Logo Package I was recently hired to design. (It's for a massage therapy business in California... and for now that's all I can tell yah... Eeeekk!!)

Of course, I can't really do a post about contracts... because they're boring... but nerd goggles... In the words of Mr. Mugato: "So hot right now."

I'm loving the always-chic Angela Lansbury in these rockin nerd goggles. What an icon!  My aviators usually play the role of a headband and keeping my fly-away hair in check.  I never spend more than ten bucks on glasses because they end up getting sat on or lost within the year.  With Tar-geeet fashion being what it is, I wouldn't even spend $10 on sunnies for my baby boy.

Buuut... if I was going to drop some serious dough, I'd want some shades from Sons and Daughters Eyewear.  The Lenny for me... The Hunter for him...

 

Yeah, yeah, I know... it's Fall. My posts are not seasonally appropriate... Blogger Fail. =)

 

Cheers,

The KawaMama

MOM-ALOGUE: Baby Wearing

Yesterday, I joined The Savannah Slingers for a "Sling Meet" in the beautiful Forsyth Park.  (One of the awesome perks of being a WAHM "Working At Home Mom" has definitely been participating in events DURING THE DAY! Whaaat?!) 

This is a "baby wearing" group.  If that sounds like some sick form of animal/small-human cruelty that PETA would not approve, then you clearly aren't up on your contempo-crunchy mom lingo.  Don't sweat.  We all start somewhere. (wink)

"Baby Wearing" is basically just tying your baby to your body and hauling it around like a Sherpa...  It's like a blue tooth... hands free!  I'm a "get it done" kind of girl, and I like to have my hands free, so baby wearing is definitely for me.

The Sav.Slingers get together to swap information, sample the myriad of different slings/wraps/carriers/etc available, and generally geek out about the sweet joys of being a pack horse.

With BabyKawa still inside, I haven't been able to try out my gorgeous orange Moby wrap. My only test subject has been my Shih Tsu... who was none-too-pleased.  At the Sling Meet, I stole somebody's beautiful 2 month old daughter and Moby-ied her up good! 

She loved it!  And sucked a big wet spot onto the wrap.  Clearly a mark of approval!

Baby Kawa didn't necessarily like somebody sitting on his butt... but he got over it.
 
(PS - Look at my hideously swollen feet!! Gaaah!! Dislike.)

I'm excited to get my own little peanut in this do-hicky.  We're entering Fall/Winter, so its the perfect time to have five yards of fabric and a miniature furnace tied to my chest.  If you're nice and comment on my blog, I'll let you borrow him to keep warm.

Cheers,
The KawaMama

(Photos by Tina Macedo & my iPhone.)

Meatless Mondays

There's no doubt that grocery shopping on a strict food budget has cut down on the protien in our diet and raised the carb quotient!  (Sorry, Paleo Diet gods...)

BUT... that doesn't mean our menu has become unhealthy!  I'm determined to prove that you can eat healthy, whole food in the midst of relative poverty.

Last night I launched Meatless Monday!  It was a major success! 

What was on the menu, you might ask?  Veggie Stuffed Shells!

I made up my own recipe which went something like this:

Ingredients:
Large Shell Noodles, Garlic, Onion, Zucchini, Mushroom, Spinach, Olives, Cottage Cheese (the cheap alternative to Riccotta), Mozarella, & Parmesan.... and left over spagetti sauce.

Instructions:
1. Sautee garlic & onion until softened...
2. Add diced zucchini & mushroom... cook until... well, you know... they're cooked! =)
3. Add olives & frozen spinach
4. Remove from heat and add a few big scoops of cottage cheese, & sprinkle generously with Mozarella & Parmesan
5. Add a slosh of spagetti sauce (your favorite flavor)
6. THE FUN PART...... Stuff those pre-boiled shells!...
7. LAST STEP.... grease your glass baking dish, make a bed of spagetti sauce and lay the shells in! I had some left over cheese so I sprinkled it on top for good measure.
8. LAST STEP PART TWO.... Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 until the cheese on top looks a little crispy/baked...

Um.... three words.... AH  MAZE  ING!  Highly recommend.

I'm not gonna blow smoke up your dress... this probably ended up being the most expensive meal that I shopped for this month because of all the ingredients... but I totally made up for it with Cauliflower Soup & French Onion Soup on the meal plan... sooooo cheeeaaaaaaaaap!!

If you try it out, let me know how it goes.

Cheers,
The KawaMama

(I cheated & didn't do my own photography... but it looked EXACTLY like this photo.)

If we go into labor... we're screwed...

Little Man is easy right now... but Big Man is requiring a little bit more attention...

In 3 days, KawaPapa's application for his DREAM JOB is due!!
3 totally busy, totally booked, totally jam packed days.... 
and we're afraid we might go into labor at any minute...... 

 Last night I looked him in the eye and said, "If I go into labor tomorrow, we're screwed."

SO.... now we are on a team mission to get this bad boy application knocked out so we can get this bad boy son popped out without loosing our sanity or our grip on the future of our lives...

Long story short, your prayers are appreciated!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord!" - Jeremiah 29:11

Cheers,
The KawaMama

"What a Difference A Day Makes"

P.S.

This is what has happened....

Don't ask me how.

Cheers!
The KawaMama

The Last Days

We're in count down mode... Less than 3 weeks to baby time.

I'm completely falling prey to the, "maybe he'll come early?" temptation. 
But... seriously... maybe he'll come early!?

Without going into the gorey details, let's just say... The Signs indicate it could be possible. Or not. The Signs have been tricksy liars before.

My days are still full of awe inspiring new discoveries. But instead of being wonderful surprises, like "My baby has ticklish feet & likes classical music," they are dismal surprises like, "My feet have turned into eternally swollen sea cucumbers & sex is WORK!" 

Still, I'm taking time each day to appreciate the special parts of pregnancy... like the afternoon and evening hiccups baby always gets.  Like that special look my husband gives me that says, "I love you so much... even though you can't get out of bed without a fork lift."  Like scheduling my own naps.

As the old hymn says... "Soon, and very soon" things will be veeeeery different.

At the moment, "Soon" can't come soon enough!

Cheers,
The KawaMama

Happy (DESIGNER) Holidays

Can you believe we're entering HOLIDAY SEASON already!?!

For many people this season is stressful & overwhelming.... but I love it!

For the second year in a row, I'm partnering with the fabulous Sarah Kohut Photography designing family Christmas cards... or Halloween/Thanksgiving/Hanuka/Kwanzaa cards if that's what you'd like!

Here's a fun little sample I whipped up for my own family!

This is me with my three little sisters & my good lookin' Daddy. That handsome hunk of equipment behind us is what keeps the homestead -- "Triple Creek Farm" -- running in tip-top shape.

This year, I'm excited to announce, I'm opening the freelance business to all takers. If you want to send out Holiday Cards (printed or emailed digitally)... shoot me an email! 

$35 gets you, several custom designs to choose from, plus a free revision to polish the details just the way you like them.

Special rates for professional photographers.  Ho Ho Ho!

blairkawa (at) gmail (dot) com

A little early... but... Merry Christmas!!

the KawaMama

Bottoms Up!

We took a big plunge in our baby acquisitions this weekend.... we ordered our full set of BumGenius diapers!  Now I get to dish about my cloth diaper research findings, fears, and fabulous color schemes.

Let's start with the fun stuff... color!  We ordered a monochromatic color scheme so that laundry wouldn't feel like a psychedelic trip down rainbow row. With so many absolutely beautiful colors to choose from, it was a hard pick.

Ultimately we settled on the fresh, "Kate Spade-esque" greens. (BumGenius calls them 1-Ribbit, 2-Grasshopper, & 3-White.)  I think, "Calming, gender neutral, fresh, crisp, classy, & cute," when I think about these hues stacked in a drawer, running down the hall, or spilling out of a laundry basket. Aces!

BumGenius diapers are an All-In-One system with tons of Mom&Dad approval.  Parents raved about one-size-fits-all from 10 lbs to 3 years, easy liner stuffing, rare leakage, customizable padding, replaceable elastic & snaps, baby-bum friendly fabrics, color fastness, and super cute hues.  My friend, Deborah, gave me a crash course in changing, washing, stuffing, and adjusting these diapers.... with a kindly assist from her 1yr old daughter Charlotte.  I was sold.

Let's talk cold, hard cash...

David and I calculated that we would spend approximately $1500 a year on disposable diapers (buying the economy brands alone.)  After months of stalking amazon.com, I found a great deal from The Green Nursery. For a full set of 24 diapers (that will last through as many kids as we may have) we spent a grand total of $330.  $1500 a year for 2-3 kids... verses $300 up front... hmm... you do the math.

Can't wait for them to arrive in the mail!

PS - TheGreenNursery.com was AWESOME with their customer service.  They even changed my color selections for me mid-order. Super responsive! Free shipping! I'm going to order something else from them just because they made me so happy. Highly recommend.

Now my Little Bum just needs to get here already!

Cheers!

The KawaMama

Inspiring Morning...

You've heard the old adage... "It's the little things..."

Today my husband and I woke up early.  True to my promise the night before, I started scrubbing a sink full of dishes (alternately scowling bitterly and gazing wistfully at our broken dish washer). 

He began clearing out the carport in preparation for our backyard barbeque this weekend.  A half hour later he stuck his head in the kitchen and shouted, "You making me coffee woman!?" with an impish grin. It was so cute I decided I'd make eggs and bacon too.

But we only had one egg. So it turned into "Bacon and Grapefruit." 

The morning was still dim and grey and cool... the birds were going nuts in the newly mown grass... it was quiet in that noisy way that city neighborhoods are quiet before 8:00am.  It was just a beautiful morning... so I snapped some shots and I thought I'd share.

I found the colors inspirational.

It's the little things...



Cheers,
The KawaMama

Goodies, Goodies!

Due entirely to the cleverness and generosity of some of the best friends in the whole world (who planned me a shower that was to die for, which I promise to share as soon as I format the photos)... this has been a week of wonderful acquisitions in Baby Land.  The influx of goodies made me think... I should make a little series about my cutey cute acquisitions.

Enter... the goodies from Sara Jane Boutique.

Bib!

I'm nuts for these colors and the fuzzy dots.  Since we still don't know if we're having a boy or girl... I was very happy with the mixed hues. Coral, navy, peach, grey, and turquoise are universally fabulous, in my opinion.

And what's this?!... Bib has a friend....

Abso-friggin-lutely the cutest and softest and creepiest little snuggly EVER!  AHH!  I love the gal who found this and said, "Blair would totally love a hot pink one eyed monster for her child!"  Oooh Sarah, you know me well.

This ugly fella is destined to become a well loved friend in our home.

And those are the Goody-Goodies for today!  Thanks to all, and hip-hurray!

Cheers,

TheKawaMama

You're Invited...

I'm closing an era of my life... the school era!  I'm two days away from my official CIDA Accredited degree in Interior Design!  IIDA... here I come... Sounds like a reason to celebrate to me!

I whipped up the graphics for this little invitation on my lunch break last week.  I had plans to design a cute pattern for the back, get them professionally printed, round the edges, insert a polka dotted vellum sheet, and wrap them in lime green envelopes...... but when you wake up Sunday morning and realize you've got to hand these puppies out..... well... you settle for the home-office ink jet.  And it worked!

My fabulous husband helped as we ran around trimming cardstock like crazy people! And we still managed to get to church before the end of the first hymn. Booyah!

Much more to come... plans, schemes, and final results. 

Did I mention that we're "revealing" the sex of our baby at this shindig?  That's right -- it's a two-fer-one celebration.

Cheers!
The Kawa Mama

Wood (if) You Pleeaase?

My wonderful father-in-law asked me, "Are you going to be one of the weird moms that only wants their child to have wooden toys?"  Wooden toys?  Like these??

Weeeeell, Walter, since you asked..... yes and no?  I don't mind plastic.  I chewed a fair amount of it and turned out just fine.  But here's the thing:  All the brightly colored, singing, dancing, tooting, whistling, plastic-plastic-plastic ULTIMATELY has to go in my house... my house with the natural fiber carpets, African baskets, velvet pillows, and oiled woods. 

Is it just me or will the harmonious room turn into a melange of clashing hue and visual discord? 

There's enough stress and mess with babies... their stuff might as well visually harmonize with our stuff wherever the twain shall meet.

Luckily... wonderful quality wooden toys are not hard to find!  And thanks to SmilingTreeToys they are affordable too! 

When I saw this bus, my imagination went wild!  Cars with little people were some of my favorite toys when I was little... so much food for imagination.

Also a favorite childhood toy.... stackers!  They were like cakes and pies... jewelry... cathedrals... puzzels...

Yes please!

I fully expect my baby to loose a few toys to the teeth of our dog... so if the child cuts its own teeth ON the dog, its just karma.

So cute.

Anyway... these were a few of my favorites.  Every item comes in at under $30. Most are more like $12-14. This is amazing considering the materials and the craftsmanship. I'm a fan. 

xoxo,
TheKawaMama

The Kawa Mama

Oh, hello... is this my life?  When you have a baby everything changes... not just your waist line.
You name it, it's different.

I started this blog when I found out I was pregnant as a place to process and digest the experience.  It has continued as I realized that "The Experience" was going to be on-going for the rest of my life.

Here begins life as, The Kawa Mama.

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