- Mood:
exhausted
Holidays are super stressful, but lucky for me I've been given kind of a pass this year. Everyone understands that I'm dealing with a newborn and our budget is tight. Instead of bringing treats of my own to the holiday gatherings, I'm helping my mom bring a little more than usual. She certainly doesn't complain about me bringing the baby over to visit, much less about the extra set of hands. Low-budget Christmas gifts were easy to choose, since parents and grandparents are getting 8x10 photos of Mikayla and all the aunts (I have five :P ) are getting 4x6, and everybody gets a couple of wallet size. So easy- everybody loves babies.
Mikayla has been so fussy lately. I'm actually getting worried about it, and after Christmas I'm going to call her doctor. I think she might have Infant GERD (reflux), but I can't be sure because if she does it's "silent" reflux that doesn't have the excessive spit-up that most babies with reflux suffer from. She has a lot of the other symptoms, though, so I need to get it checked on. She will sometimes cry for hours and refuse to be comforted. It's so hard to deal with! Thank goodness Micah is on his school break now, so he has more time to spend at home and help with the baby. He still has to work, but it doesn't seem nearly as much.
Naturally, I probably won't be around the next few days because of Christmas. But I doubt anyone will blame me. :) Merry Christmas, or whatever you celebrate this season, may it bring you joy!
- Mood:
stressed
Despite my complaints I really am doing well as a mommy, and I love it. My mother is always asking if I need help and I'm always turning her down because I can't imagine anything more natural than caring for my baby, even if I'm tired sometimes. It's everything I ever wanted.
- Mood: exhausted
( Baby pictures! )
Mehka is still blank, but that isn't keeping her from having a lot of personality. I'm still experimenting with posing, but Mehka is a lot easier than Brynn because she's not as limited in her poses.
( MNF love )
This pose is for you Allison. The MNF A-line body can pose with the best of them! *unabashed temptation*
- Mood:
cold
I think I'm going to have to take DZ Mo off my wish list. I like the mold, but I think that Drake is going to have to be a JID. He needs to be tall and muscular, and the JID body fits the bill perfectly.
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
h_u_s_h_e_d just posted pictures of her new JID Ryan next to her MNF Seorin, and the proportions are just what I need. There are two problems: first, that there simply isn't a mold of JID that's perfect for Drake, and second, Iplehouse doesn't have a tan option. They have released some of their dolls in a slightly darker "real skin" that might work for my purposes, but of the JID boys released so far only Ryan has been offered in real skin and that's a limited edition, anyway. Drake needs some heavy mods and I would prefer not to screw with a limited doll. I guess it's a blessing that I won't be able to afford him for a while, because I'll have to think on this. I'll look around JID owner photos a little bit and hope that Iplehouse will release a new, perfect JID boy.- Mood:
sleepy
Naturally the baby has kept me really busy as of late. I love her to bits and pieces, but she's demanding. Considering that she can't do anything for herself yet, she has a right to be needy, and it's definitely a labor of love.
I'm learning how to work around her, though, and I have some little projects I want to do. My main priority is crocheting up some little critters to decorate kids' gift bags, and of course I have to have those done by Christmas. I have eleven cousins to make them for, and maybe my brother. After that I'd like to try a doll hat pattern that I've been working on, because Mehka and Brynn would look too darling in a cloche hat. Less officially I want to do some more sewing and jewelry making for my dolls, but I don't have a time schedule set for that since I don't even know what I'm making yet.
I've got a little money in my paypal account and I have decided that unless I end up needing it for Christmas shopping (which I shouldn't, I think I'm almost done), it has to go toward clothes for my MSD girls. They have four outfits among them, and Mehka and Brynn don't really have any clothes that suit their styles yet. While I would really like some HDS clothes, I keep balking at the price, and the fact that they probably wouldn't ship for a full month or more. I looked at picking up a few pieces from Dollmore, but the shipping is horrendous! I've scoured Etsy and found nothing I liked. Searching through the DoA marketplace makes me dizzy. If I make up my mind fast enough, I might get a $50 grab bag from Wicked Stitchery, but frankly I'm nervous about it. What if I just happen to get a bag full of stuff I hate? Eventually, I have to make up my mind...
- Mood: groggy
Dear Fairyland,
When you put a tiny resin nubble on a doll's bits and call it a boy, it is no longer okay to put said doll in a long wig and lacy dress for their fullset. I don't care what you would call that garment if asked, it is a dress and it has matching bloomers. Give the poor boy some pants.
Sincerely,
A concerned individual
Really. That's a boy???
- Mood:
dumbfounded
little_joniYou know how sometimes people on your friendslist post about stuff going on in their life, and all of a sudden you think "Wait a minute? Since when were they working THERE? Since when were they dating HIM/HER? Since when???" And then you wonder how you could have missed all that seemingly pretty standard information, but somehow you feel too ashamed to ask for clarification because it seems like info you should already know? It happens to all of us sometimes.
Please copy the topics below, erase my answers and put yours in their place, and then post it in your journal! Please elaborate on the questions that would benefit from elaboration. One-Word-Answers seldom help anyone out. (:
1. Name: Johnna, though I have just as often gone by Cherry and I'm pretty used to answering to both. The story on the nickname is a long one.
2. Age: 22, too often mistaken for 17 or thereabouts. Through my pregnancy and even at my daughter's first doctor's appointment, a lot of people have assumed I'm an unwed teenage mother. -_-;;
3. Location: Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks region. It's not a super exciting place but it's been home since kindergarten. It's a good place to raise kids and we're hoping to stay around here after Micah graduates.
4. Occupation: I'm a stay-at-home-mom at least through January. After that we're going to play it by ear for a while. All I know is that I'm not going back to my old job as a restaurant hostess, at least not at the same place.
5. Partner?: My husband, Micah. We've been married for two years now, but we've been together officially for six years, and friends longer than that. He's frustrating like all men can be, but I can't imagine life without him!
6. Kids?: Just one! She's 13 days old as I type this.
7. Brothers/Sisters: I was an only child for twenty years, but now I have a 13 year old brother. He originally came into foster care in my aunt's home, but our family fell in love with him. He officially came into my parent's home the week of my wedding, and his adoption date fell on our first wedding anniversary. We're pretty close.
8. Pets: One grumpy lizard, a Bearded Dragon named Loki.
9. List the 3/5 biggest things going on in your life:
*The new baby
*Holiday planning and travel arrangements (BIG deal in our family)
*Doll projects and crafts
*The new baby
10. Parents: My mom and dad are pretty awesome people. Not only have they raised me right, they've taken to my husband as if he were one of their own, and of course adopted my brother. They would do anything for us. They're also good friends of ours and we just enjoy spending time with them.
11. Who are some of your closest friends?: I don't feel like I have a lot of close friends. My very best friend lives in California now, and a lot of other friends are scattered around for college or work. It's kind of hard to make friends when your interests lie in such obscure areas as anime (that's not on Adult Swim) and Asian fashion/ball-joint dolls. I have made a lot of friends online though, and I love talking to you all!
- Mood: tired
Micah's mother has decided that she is disowning him. She has always been distant and critical. She didn't want us to get married, and she thinks I hate her. (I can't say I like her much, but I liked her fine before she decided I didn't.) It's just a huge mess that I can't even describe. We've been a little on edge all day dealing with this BS. The sad thing? This all started when I made a Facebook post to brag on her son and how he was really helping out as a new dad. Don't ask how it turned a corner... I just don't know.
So, this has messed up our whole day. It took up the whole morning so I didn't get to go to the post office T-T I've got packages for
marryth and h_u_s_h_e_d sitting on my kitchen table, ready to go. I hate having unfinished business.- Mood:
aggravated
Since I had a little free time yesterday, I have been able to bond a little more with Brynn. Still haven't had time to change her eyes, but I'm figuring out the poses that make her feel more in character, even with the body being a little too curvy. I partly blame
h_u_s_h_e_d and her Miyu, Meryll, for my earlier difficulties because I was imitating some of Meryll's usual poses even though the two girls are practically polar opposites! Brynn's personality definitely doesn't show off the full range of Minifee possibilities, but as soon as I get time to stick Mehka's head on the body I'll be more free to have fun with that.I've also had a little time for the other dolls... not really to handle them, but at least to give them some thought. My Souseiseki is going to live with
marryth very soon, and while I was choosing a couple of things to send with her I did some wardrobe playing in my head. I haven't redressed some of the Pullips in a while, and I have a couple of Barbie outfits that haven't even been opened. Hubby has next week off from school for Thanksgiving break, so I am going to take an hour or two to re-dress all of the Pullip crew (except maybe the boys, since they don't have much to be re-dressed in). They've been sorely neglected, even though I still love them.If baby's tummy troubles pass and I can set her down for a while, I'll be taking a couple of photos of either Brynn or Mehka tonight. They will likely be poorly lit, possibly even flash photos... but I want to prove I have them!
- Mood: tired
I finally got to open my new Minifee who arrived on Saturday. Fifteen minutes of playing with her, and I officially hate my Bobobie girl's body. It's really beautiful, but it just can't pose well, and the Minifee A-line shows me just how much I love a doll that can pose! Eventually, I will be replacing Alora. Not necessarily with a whole doll, because I would love to keep her face mold if I can find a better body that has a decent resin match. Unfortunately neither of Fairyland's resins match her at all- the white is WAY too white, and their normal skin has a bit of a yellowish tone to it where Bobobie's normal skin is pretty pink. They're both way too far off for toning to be a possibility. I'll be doing some research into other bodies for her eventually, and maybe even into a 35cm mold if I can find one that's mature enough. I'd love for her height difference to be right!
Brynn and I haven't bonded at first sight, I'll admit, because as much as I love her posing already she's just not together yet. She has no face-up, the wrong clothes, and is still wearing her default eyes which are totally the wrong color and set a little wonky. It's also pretty clear that I intended the body for Mehka, as it's just a little too curvy for Brynn. Still, I like her and I know that once I have time to work on her a little bit she'll come into her own. Hopefully tomorrow I'll find time to put Mehka's head on the body and play with it, but I'm not counting on it since we have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon. She's blank right now too, but her eyes will be the right color and well positioned, and the body is the right proportions. Not to mention I've been staring at her for months, waiting to put her on a body and get her personality out!
I don't know when I'll have time for dolly pictures next, so who knows when Mehka and Brynn will be shown off. But I'm the best kind of busy there is!
- Mood:
content
Being a mom is really amazing, even if it doesn't quite seem real yet. I'm definitely very busy though! My MNF arrived today and I hid it in the art room (from my mom, not from husband), and it will be a few days before I get to open her. SO, SO worth it. And never mind the kicking back... looks like she needs fed. <3
- Mood: satisfied
Still having false labor, so I have a lot of time to sit at the computer. I got bored and decided to make my updated BJD wish list/task list. I'm trying to focus on my novel characters (Laches is an exception, but he's related to my novel characters), but I did put three of my "what if" dolls onto the end. There's the Puki that will be an homage to my cat that passed away, the one SD that makes me drool endlessly, and an exotic MSD that I can't find a place for as a character. If possible, this is the order that I'll be buying in, with the exception of the "what if" dolls. I really can't be jumping around if I'm going to get my whole cast together!
1. Brynn's own permanent body (Fairyland MNF A-line)
2. Drake (DZ Tan Mo, to be modded)
3. ?? (Lati White Laches)
4. Eros (Fairyland MNF Ruth)
5. Duncan (Fairyland MNF Seorin)
6. Isaiah (Fairyland MNF Shiwoo)
7. Sasha (Fairyland MNF Shushu)
8. Benjie (Fairyland LTF Shiwoo)
9. Aramil (Fairyland MNF Karsh)
10. Lydia (Fairyland MNF Lishe)
11. Evaline (Fairyland Pukipuki Pipi)
12. Eldin (Fairyland Pukipuki Cupid)
13. Keiko (Fairyland Pukipuki Darjeeling w/Pukisha set)
14. ?? (Iplehouse YID Freezia)
15. ?? (Dolkot Junior Lala)
- Mood: groggy
Today was my second day of having false labor pretty much all day, I am quite miserable and whiny about it. I am trying to keep myself distracted but it only works so well.
I accomplished nothing yesterday because the contractions were actually pretty intense. Today they have been better so I've been sewing a little. I'm insane and seem to get more accomplished when I'm sewing by hand than with my machine... probably because when sewing by hand I can sit with my feet up in front of the TV, but I have to go into the other room to use my sewing machine. I've got a tunic top for Mehka done and I'm working on a simple dress that Mehka and Brynn can share. Honestly I would rather be making more jewelry, but I decided that I should back off on that until I've got more dolls to wear it, or until I can start selling. As long as it's taking to get my shipping notice from Fairyland, I have no idea which will come first! :P
- Mood:
uncomfortable
I've accomplished three of the four things on my list for today, yay! So I have more pictures of doll jewelry to share.
( Four again )
I'm trying to diversify styles as much as possible. I know I like to wear different kinds of jewelry, so why wouldn't my dolls?
- Mood:
sore
Goals:
2. Make at least two more dolly necklaces
3. Photograph dolly necklaces (at least the two left from yesterday)
Yesterday and today I spent some time making MSD-sized jewelry. I have been making human sized jewelry for about eight years now, but it's surprising how different it is to make something so small. These are just warm-ups, really, and I have so many plans for more...
Warning: Alora models one necklace partially nude, but you can only see collarbones really.
( Four necklaces! )
I did make two more necklaces with cord instead of chain, but since I sealed the ends with clear nail polish I am letting them dry for 24 hours before letting them touch resin. I couldn't wait that long to share these! I'll probably make even more tonight or tomorrow, so expect more photos in the next couple of days.
- Mood:
bouncy
With the baby due any day now, I'm not crazy enough to commit myself to NaNoWriMo- as much as I would love to! But I am pushing myself to do some writing and novel work before the baby comes. To kick things off on the LJ side I'm posting two more character profiles today. The last pairs I've posted have some sort of relation to each other, but Mehka and Sasha just kind of got stuck together for no particular reason.
( Sasha )
- Mood: sore
h_u_s_h_e_d's Alister, who is doing a "video blog". Alora isn't a computer user, and Mehka isn't whole yet, so that just left my tinies. Luckily, they seemed to like the idea! Mehka doesn't appear in the story, per se, but she does have a few lines from behind the camera.( Photostory )
I actually had a harder time writing Issie's lines than I thought I would. Finally I just started imagining how my cousins (ages 3 and 6) would talk. I still spent a lot of time tweaking the lines after that, but it made it a lot easier. Oh! And Issie obviously doesn't care what Emi's costume is supposed to be, but she's a strawberry. ;)
- Mood: satisfied
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