me and will

job search and Halloween

2009-11-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Halloween was great! Will's costume was as cute as can be. I had what I think was an inspired costume...Will's school had a party on Saturday morning and I was so tired from the week that I didn't think I could figure out anything for me to wear. BUT, as I was laying in bed wishing Will wanted to sleep a bit more, I came up with my favorite costume ever. (okay, I loved a couple years ago pre-momdom when I went as Girls Gone Wild. no shirt, just a bra, and an eye bar but that was then...) I decided to go to the party as a "new mom." I put on a pair of nice pj's and pushed a sleep mask up on my forehead. I had my hair in a mess too. It was awesome. I didn't have to get out of my pj's all day. so sweet. My Aunt Nancy arrived on Saturday afternoon and we had a great time prepping for the trick-or-treaters. unfortunately, it started pouring just as the sun went down and we had very few kids come. Which means I've been eating the leftover candy all week. not good. so good. With the rain, and the lateness etc. Will only did two houses of trick or treating. He wasn't impressed. He didn't know why he couldn't just go into my neighbor Frida's house and play with her dogs.
My favorite moment, was at the party that morning. Will was holding a cookie, when I said, "Hey Will, they've got broccoli!" He dropped the cookie and ran over to grab some broccoli. I've never been more proud!
couple of pics of Will in his costume:

Job search is going okay. I've applied to some that would be good money but pretty dull, and a couple that would probably be not great money but cool, and one (fingers crossed) that could be a dream job!
I am thinking of all of this as a really good thing. Time to try something new!

Clearly, the lesson is Single moms have no time

2009-10-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

this is my first post in over a year. It is October, and I just got laid off from my full time job. The good news, I'm so relieved and I love being Freelance, particularly during the Holidays. I'll get something in January and make-do til then. Of course now with Will it's the first time I've had to think about COBRA etc.

I really hate paperwork and dealing with bureaucracy. oh well.

Fun stuff, Aunt Kate got Will the cutest freaking dog costume ever, so he'll be a dog for Halloween which is so fun. He's crazy about dogs. First Lilly, my mom's awesome dog, then my brother's dogs, Clarise and Goover, he's had great dogs in his life and he has learned how to hang with them without being an annoying "pully" toddler. We dog sat for a neighbor a couple weeks ago, and had a beautiful Golden retriever named Rusty stay with us for four days. Will was in heaven. So, though I really wanted to dress him as a mad scientist, because his hair just lends itself perfectly to it, I figured he would really get into being a dog. We'll make our jack-o-lantern today and start ramping up.

Will's dad came for a visit last weekend. He's been working and living in Florida and it was the first time Will had seen him since early July. He had a fantastic time. Everything was "daddy daddy daddy" for four days. Love seeing him so happy. We took him to he Air and Space museum, and he really enjoyed it. I think he mostly enjoyed the time on Dad's shoulders.

they went to the zoo for the day, wish I had pics but I was working. Up next my Aunt Nancy is coming for a night or two or three.

Off to clean while Will naps. hope to post before another year goes by.

August 31, 2008

2008-08-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Richmond was great. The actual welcome home party for Kundalini and for Queen has been postponed, because so many people couldn't make it yesterday. But Will and I got to meet Kundalini, and congratulate Queen! Will had a great time, getting to hang with so many of his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! Seems everyone has appropriated Queen Quedith's nickname for Will, so now they all call him "yum yum" as in Will"yum".

Below are just a few shots from the day. The one of me and Will and Jordon was taken by Will's cousin Isys. I'm going to include a slideshow in another post of Jordon's shots. She really is quite the young photographer. I love watching her figure stuff out. Yesterday, she was taking a shot of an aunt and some cousins, and they were backlit, and the sun was in Jordon's eyes. She stood there for a while looking at the LCD and frowning, until she finally went over to the window to shut the curtain. Her mother told her not to shut the curtain, so she thought for a second and then had the ladies turn around and face the light and put herself between them and the sunlight coming in. It was so cool...she did it instinctively. Later she told me that she's going to work with me. and at the zoo, so I might see her there too. So fun.

Queen Quedith and Will

Empress Seven and Will

King, Kundalini (Grampa) and Will

Jordon, Will, and Kundalini

Victory and Will

Jordon, Will, and Isys

Me, Will and Jordon (taken by Isys)

August 30, 2008

2008-08-30T06:01:00.001-07:00

It's morning. King came in late last night. Will was up at 12:30, and 4am to eat. between that and the fact that I was wired, and have a great book I didn't want to put down, and knew King was going to be coming in, I haven't slept much. We're heading down to Richmond in a little while to welcome home Queen and Kundalini.

August 29, 2008 picture of Will

2008-08-29T08:12:00.001-07:00

think I'll try to add at least one shot of Will every post. Here's one from this morning!

August 29, 2008

2008-08-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Will's half birthday was a great day. We didn't do much different than a normal day, I worked at my computer for my job, took pictures of him, he worked on learning to crawl in his "studio." (We set up summer sure and secure infant safety gates in a diamond configuration in the living room...actually months ago now, and that is Will's Studio, where he hangs while I'm working. It gives him a space that is all his own, and gives me peace of mind knowing I don't have to watch him every second. ok, budget note, I linked above to the summer site, but I got mine at Walmart.com and on amazon)

We did change the configuration of Will's Studio, and made it bigger...and blocked off the heating vent and cable plug that he was starting to show interest in. He seemed pretty jazzed about the new configuration. He rolled from one end to the other, and took a renewed interest in playing with his favorite toy, Miss Giraffe. (thus the quick slideshow yesterday)

Will's dad, King is arriving late tonight from NYC. We'll head out early tomorrow morning for a day in Richmond so that Will can meet King's dad, Kundalini, and we can join in welcoming him home and welcoming Will's aunt, Queen Quedith home from China!

August 28, 2008 Will's Half Birthday!

2008-08-28T13:17:00.001-07:00

I don't have a full slideshow for Will's five to six months time yet, but I took these today while he was playing with his favorite toy, Miss Giraffe! (Thanks Elyse!)

Hooray, today he is six months old!

August 27, 2008 First Entry

2008-08-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

My friend Barrow said I should be blogging...so here goes...

this is my first entry. My name is Nancy, I am a single mom living outside Washington DC. I am 37 years old and my first (and only) child is six months old. His name is Will. This will be a blog about our life together. For my first entry I am going to add all the videos and text from my website, where I've been doing monthly(ish) slideshows of pictures of Will.

so going back...

the quicktime slideshows below chronicle Will's first five months...Labor and delivery, Will's first two weeks, at almost 6 weeks, at almost 9 weeks, at 3 months, 4 months, and at 5 months...

Labor and Delivery

I was in labor for over 55 hours. Will was born finally but had a very serious case of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

He spent his first six days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Washington Hospital Center

Thanks to the incredible skill and dedication of my midwife, the NICU doctors and nurses, and the love of his family, Will recovered completely and came home on the seventh day after he was born. The pictures in this slideshow were taken by my brother, James, and Will's Dad King, and my sister-in-law, Kate.

First two weeks

These pictures are from Will's first two weeks. Not included are any pics of him from the first 4 days...we started taking real pics (non cell phone pics) when he had his nose oxygen tubes removed, when we knew he was going to be okay, and when the nurses said it would be alright. These were taken by myself, my mom Ramona, my brother James, and Will's dad King. Included are a visit from King's mom, Queen Gemisa, and his brother Victory...as well as visits from my cousin Matthew, my godmother Mimi, and my aunt and uncle, Nancy and Wayne.

Almost six weeks old

the next four weeks Will and I spent at home with my mom who (thank goodness) stayed with us and did the cooking and cleaning while I took care of Will and started going back to work...

The slideshow below includes pics from Will's first trip to see the Cherry Blossoms downtown, his first time meeting Elyse, Todd and Steve from District Fine Arts, a visit from my cousin Michael and his wife Jennifer, lunch with my father Jim, a trip to my Dad's grave, (that requires some explanation. My father Jim was my mom's first husband, the man who raised me and adopted both my brother and I was my Dad Bill) and a visit from my dear friend Amanda...at which my cousin Matthew and my mom put together Will's new bed (a gift from Jane!) These pics were taken by myself, and my mom.

Almost 8 weeks

Will and I took a trip with my mom up to see James and Kate (who hadn't seen him since he'd left the hospital) and my Uncle Pete and Aunt Gail, and my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Wayne, My Uncle Tom and Aunt Jane, and my Grandmother Evelyn...back at home, "Mona" (my mom's grandmother name) left :( and Will's aunts Graceful, Zuequal, and Empress, and his cousins Jordon, and Isys came for a visit. Also I got my first taste of single mom life when Will and I had our first week alone together at home! These pics were taken by myself, my mom, my brother James, and Will's cousin Jordon.

3 months!

Will got bigger! He and I got into a routine at home...his dad came to visit...King and Will and I went to Richmond for Will's aunt Queen Zuequal's baby shower, where Will got to meet his great-grandmother, and his uncle Goldin, and his Aunt Queen Quedith for the first time...plus see a ton of other family...Will and his dad hung out at the hotel while I shot ISDC 08, and Will got to meet Buzz Aldrin, and Alex Tai!

4 months!

SILVERDOCS! King and Lauren and Will and I returned to Silverdocs, where King and I met, and Will got started to shoot the festival for my 6th time and Lauren's 3rd time...this time around King worked as our Photo Editor (and as Dad! staying in the hotel with Will and working from there!)

5 months

Aunt Queen Quedith goes to the Olympics!!!!! Will and King and I went down to Richmond to say Bon Voyage to Will's Aunt Queen Quedith who was heading off to China for the Olympics!

We had a great time, and Will got to hang with his Aunts, Uncles, and cousins for the first time since he was 3 months old.

So that's it for right now. Will turns six months old tomorrow, and I'll have a new slideshow ready soon.