just ignore the man behind the curtain

Hmmmm.

That last post suddenly feels kind of creepy, like I'm peering over your virtual shoulder as you read. I didn't mean it like that, honest.

Quick, post about something else... anything...

So! It turns out you can get a rash from your own drool!

And look, pictures!





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the middle finger

I took the rather silly step of adding a fancy traffic analysis widget to my blog. For this site? It's like putting steel girders under a wooden footbridge.

I am not at all savvy in these matters, and there's way more information available to me now than I can possibly use (bounce rates, anyone?), but it's kind of fun to see where my traffic is coming from. It's fun that I have traffic at all!

There's even a map overlay that shows me where my visitors are coming from. I have Japan and Colombia, even. In the US, the map shows me how many people from each state have stopped by. I realize that it's not a campaign to get all 50 states, since it'll be a looong time before Fingerfold becomes president. But I still get a little giddy when a new State shows up, nevermind that some of those visits are just an "oops" click from a wacky google search. Yes, the prying eye can even see what you googled in order to get to my site.

For example:

"thickening middle finger"

Some poor Joe went searching for advice for a serious medical condition and the first link he got was about me burning my middle finger and finally putting on some pregnancy weight!

Whew, the interweb casts a wide net.

Because, really, if you're going to look up middle fingers, you should go directly to this. Go.

Okay, but really. I'm only going to use google analytics for the power of good.

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lest I think I am getting the hang of anything

Um. So, more on the diaper-free lifestyle.

We've been doing great at night: for the past two weeks, Auden has stayed totally dry while sleeping. He fusses quite a bit upon waking, but I take this to mean he's got a full bladder and am glad he registers the sensation. I unswaddle him, hold him over the potty, and he pees like a champ. Every time.

Wow, I think. Progress!

During the day? Not so much. On a little OCD impulse, I bought a kitchen timer to see if that would help me be more mindful of his intervals, but he's determined to out-wit me every time. Add to the mix that he's getting bigger and seems to be able to hold it longer, and I just have to guess how often he pees. Sometimes every 10 minutes, sometimes 25.

Sometimes we hold him over the potty for a good 2 minutes with no results, only to have him squirt with glee once we get the diaper back on. Sometimes he makes a fuss, which means he has to go, other times he just goes quiet for a moment (by which time it's too late...), then goes happily about his business of drooling and putting things in his mouth. One day we only use 7 diapers; the next day it's 17. He's a riddle, this kid.

I'm inclined to hang out on the lawn all day and let him pee into the grass. Seriously. Here's some pics from the last time we did that, in which he displays his awesome new turtle face:








Awwww, you little rascal! Of course I'm not mad that you peed on my pant leg, the carpet, the laundry hamper, the couch, the bed, the... wait, where was I?

Oh right, determined to stick with it.

I just keep telling myself, the more we do it now, the less we do it when he's two and is really inclined to challenge our illusions of parental control.

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i still make art

I've put up some new pieces on Etsy, head on over and have a look.

Okay, here's a peek:





And wonder of wonders, I've been painting again, too. When Auden sleeps, I get him snug in the sling, leave the dirty dishes in the sink and head to the easel instead. The four-panel flower piece is still evolving, here's how it looks lately:



Frankly, only a little less cartoon-y than when I started. It's hard to keep my focus with this piece, especially since I feel as though I'm flailing around in search of the right colors and composition... it's hard not to think I was on the wrong foot from the beginning. How will it resolve? Stay tuned for the next episode: "The Secret of Underpainting," or, "Palette Knife: Friend or Foe?"

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rollin'

So, it turns out that tummy time is just a gateway drug. Auden is now getting into harder stuff:

He pulled this one on Saturday, and even though he ends up burrowing his face in the ground and getting a little stuck, he is quite determined. But now he can do it with considerably less yelling.

And for Fenna... horse lips!

Someday I'll get back to writing thoughful and poignant tomes about motherhood -- and maybe even art! -- but for now it's just video.

*sigh*

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