Spells

Apologies again for the long wait between posts.  I started this comic two weeks and about four pounds ago, but it being the end of the semester, I didn't have time to finish it until now. 

Lots of new things happening since the last post!  I've graduated to wearing Will's t-shirts, the Orb frequently has hiccups, and I'm being introduced to the less pleasant third-trimester goodies---stretch marks, swelling, and trouble sleeping.  But, having a nice husband, a happy dog, a close-by family, and a pretty Christmas tree help offset these things.

Turnover

I am getting much bulkier.  Simple things are harder to do.

Perspective

Sometimes I think Will thinks I make this stuff up.

Week 28! We have entered the third trimester. I am definitely feeling much more bulky and it's harder to do simple things like turn over in bed and chase the puppy across the neighborhood. The Orb is super active now; she was kicking and punching so much today that I had to leave school early so I could go home, put on some stretch pants, lean back, and actually get work done.

Voles

I swear people around me must be able to see my stomach move like a bag of popcorn.  I'm pretty sure she's oriented with her head on my left side and her feet on my right, because I feel kicking most frequently on the right.  But the weirdest sensation is when she moves her whole body, and then it looks like there's a colony of voles building a condo under my sweatshirt.

About Things

Life isn't bad, just busy.  Nevertheless, this note made my day.  Thanks to this watcher, and to everyone who's following my silly comics. 

Rethinking Birthdays

Poke

Sorry for the long wait between posts... October is birthday month for many friends and family members, and so much of my time has been devoted to the crafting of presents and such.  But there have definitely been some recent developments... the Orb is getting much more active and responsive to outside stimuli to the point where digesting food can get a little distracting.  But it's neat getting to know her a little and knowing that she's aware of what's going on around her.

Hug Your Mom

I finally got around to painting this picture to tell my watchers on DeviantArt why I've been so slack there.

It was nice to have time to sit and focus on a piece; I like doing comics, but I'm usually trying to draw them in a few hours after school or on the weekends, and I don't get to pay a lot of attention to depth or color.  So this was a nice change.

Chocolate

I had my first, real-live craving attack the other day.  Here is a fairly accurate rendition of the events:

How can you think about puppies at a time like this??

Apologies to Will for my outburst.

Also, later this night I made this delicious and super easy hot chocolate recipe, so it all worked out. 

I'm sure this blog makes it seem like all I do is whine and look disgruntled, but I'm actually having a mostly pleasant pregnancy.  I'm getting to know the Orb a little better now that I can feel her moving around... I know when she's going to be quiet and when she's going to be practicing kickboxing, playing Rock Band, etc.

It's A....

We had our 20-week ultrasound on Tuesday!

It's a girl!  Well, we're 80% sure.  She was so curled up (like me on a cold morning) that it took a half an hour just so the nurse could get an image she could work with.  She had me roll over on my side, stand up, and was wiggling the sensor all over my stomach to try to get the baby to unwind.  But our baby was being pretty modest... I guess we just have to keep that up for another twenty years or so.

After the last post, my mom said, "sooner or later, you'll have to draw you smiling in one of these."  Part of that is for comic effect... it's easier and usually funnier to cast yourself as the brunt of a joke.  But, in actuality, seeing our baby moving around and watching her heart beat and spine curl was a big leap for me... this isn't just that amoeba squid-creature attached to me anymore.  This is a little girl, with a (potential) name and personality.  Now I can look at baby clothes.  Now I can look at nursery colors.  Now she has a real, tangible future.  And that's made me a lot happier and feel a lot more connected than I did before, when she was just The Orb.

We'll get another ultrasound in a few weeks to be 100% sure of the sex.  But for now, we're moving into Act II... the second half of our pregnancy!

Ultrasound

Tomorrow we go in for our 20-week ultrasound.  I've been thinking about what we'll find out for weeks...

One of my friends at work thinks it'll be a penguin.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring....

Subtlety

Husbands!  Amirite?

Of course, when I started drawing this, Will came home and snuggled with me in the armchair, and then I felt bad.

But maybe I'll get a guilt massage anyway.

Quickening

quickening:
Function: n
the first motion of a fetus in the uterus felt by the mother usually somewhat before the middle of the period of gestation

Breakfast

Will:  "Maybe you should do a comic that's not about throwing up."

Indignity

On the bright side, it definitely wasn't just hormones.  It really was an indignity.

Know Your Trashcan

To be fair, I haven't had to utilize any of these yet.  I've always had access to a toilet, a sick bag, or a bush (or... my research partner's car.  Hope that didn't stain, Jenn).  But as the Boy Scouts say: "Be Prepared."

Fat

A sentiment initially expressed by my mom but adopted by me ever since I started busting zippers on my  medium-rise jeans.

Dive! Dive! Dive!

Just six or seven more weeks and we get our next sonar to see if we're having a boy or girl!

Wellington

Sorry for the long wait between posts.  Hopefully this will explain where much of our time has gone:

Meet Welly:

Short for Wellington, as in "Duke of," of course.  Will's been reading war novels.

Welly found us two Sundays ago.  No one in our neighborhood has recognized or claimed Welly.  Welly hasn't tried to leave our backyard since crawling under our fence.

Welly visits the vet tomorrow to get some shots and probably a collar.

I know all about the "life is what happens while you're making plans" bit, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

But really, we love Welly.  And I think it's important to grow up with a childhood pet, so maybe this is good timing after all.

In other news, I have just entered the second trimester, and the nausea has died down.  We had another checkup yesterday and got to hear the baby's heartbeat!

Contraption

After Will described this idea to me on Skype, he paused and said... "is this going to turn into a comic?"

I Really Am

I love my husband Will very, very much.  He always mostly says and does all the right things.

But the times that he doesn't make for better comics.

Also, I am aware that not being able to drink Malibu isn't a symptom of pregnancy, but it has made me much more aware of the presence of the Orb.

But yes, ta da!  Happy Thirteen Weeks and elastic bands around pants buttons!

Refresher

Okay, so this scenario didn't physically happen.  For someone at an age that's generally considered to be adulthood, I think I'm actually pretty well-versed in childlore.

But seriously, how did Hunca Munca get Tom Thumb out of the chimney??

Working a Room

I've spent a lot of time in airports lately.

I've started a collection of those handy airline sick bags... they seal so nicely!

Etsy Love: Handmade Toys

For those who haven't discovered the extreme joys of Etsy, here's a first taste.  Etsy is sort of like Ebay in that anyone can be a buyer or seller, except that all wares must be either handmade or vintage.  I generally don't get into the vintage stuff, but being an artist, I love that other craftspeople have a profitable place to sell their unique creations.  I haven't yet made a purchase I regret from Etsy; often packages arrive with a little extra something from the seller, like a few extra sheaves of handmade paper or an extra hand-rolled marshmallow or two.  I turned to Etsy for a lot of our wedding purchases, like our guestbook and groomsmen gifts.

And now: BABY STUFF!

There are so many beautiful and unusual toys that sellers have made.  I've picked out three of my favorites to share with you.

First: Hobbes Plush Doll by amiamour

I grew up with Calvin and Hobbes.  I have all the comic books and reread them frequently (like... this morning).  I love the idea of me our baby having its very own Hobbes.  Seller amiamour has gotten the look exactly right; this Hobbes looks exactly like he does in the comics.

Next up: Pogos by pogoshop

WANT.  For the baby. 

Pogos are a unique upcycled creation of a local South Carolina seller (more reason to love them).  She uses old wool sweaters and bamboo fiberfill to make each little pogo, and she even creates a backstory and personality for each one.  Pictured here is Elliot, who is going to catch water bugs with his friend Ollie.

An added cherry on this sweet cupcake of a plushie is that as a local artisan, she can create custom school sweaters.

Go Tigers!

Lastly, Roley Poley Dinosaurs by ArksandAnimals

RAAAAAARRR

By now you know I love dinosaurs.  I also love classic, non-flashy, imagination-required toys.  Hopefully our kid will too.  I know I would love sitting on the ground and pushing these around, creating paths and ramps and things for them to roll on.  This seller also had featured these fantastic push-and-pull T-Rexes that opened their mouths and wiggled their arms as they rolled, but it looks like they've sold out for right now.  Just as fantastic?

The pull-string, wings-twirling, body-wiggling DRAGON.

Hope you've enjoyed this non-comic post.  Remember to shop at Etsy whenever you need a unique, heartfelt, handcrafted gift!!

The Future

In the pool the other day, my mom offered us some motherly wisdom. 

 

 

Dinosaurs

RAAAARRR!

Peaches

You never know what's going to displease the Orb, apparently.

Luckily I had scouted out where the bathroom was in the lobby of the Comfort Inn I was currently in.

Energy Parasite

One definite symptom I've had?  Fatigue.  The Orb demands your energy!

The Origins of the Orb

The idea to draw a short comic about our new hormone-controlling being came about 8 weeks into our pregnancy when my brother, who works at an ice cream shop, brought us a pint of--not raspberry, as I had asked, but strawberry ice cream.  While my physical reaction was mostly perfectly sane, this is roughly what went on in my head:

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES.

 We are young, broke, first-time parents navigating these emotionally-charged waters with a certain amount of fascination and anticipation.  I tend to make sense of the world around me by diminishing it into cartoonish sketches, so the idea for a small art blog was formed to keep family and friends involved in our process. 

Follow us as we, the keepers, bend to the ever-demanding, ever-increasing power of the Orb.  Welcome to our blog!

Also, in Corey's defense, the strawberry ice cream was delicious.