ill-sorted ephemera

in case you were wondering how things are going, i'd say they were going just spiffy!

so i suppose if i'm to be a real blogger, i ought to blog sometime, right?

yeah, well, i've been a little busy lately...

so with the arrival of one william cyclone stiles, aka "will" or "the poor dog just has no idea what she's in for," has come much joy, must insanity, and much love. the birthin', it was not fun. right after the birthin'? not fun, either; i managed to contract pre-eclampsia right AFTER giving birth, something you never hear about and i'm not sure how it could have been avoided. it did lead, however, to an extra day in the hospital, which was a good chance to catch our breath and ready ourselves for life with the little one. oh, and here's where "they" were absolutely right: it was a good thing we were somewhat caught up on sleep before returning home! since then it's been a crapshoot every night, whether or not lil' will was gonna decide to sleep peacefully upon retiring for more than a few minutes at a time. MOSTLY he's been very good about such things (and when i say mostly, i mean kinda usually. sorta.). well, first there was the tiny newborn stage, where i recall sitting up at 3AM, all three of us, surrounded by confused animals, watching the Daily Shows we'd DVR'd nights before, hazy memories of our new family trying to make it through each 24 hour period remembering to feed ourselves and keep ourselves somewhat bathed.

Those days have largely passed (knock on wood - i just put the little one down for the evening. we'll see how much time passes before boobie services are called for), and now we're down to a more-or-less schedule, and we're all a lot more awake, when it's awake time!

in the meanwhile, there are ever-increasing wonders and joys of parenthood occurring on a daily basis - will's first smile! his first giggles! he loves standing up, being supported under the arms! he loves having his cheeks tweaked, and spends the day happily practicing his newest skill, popping his lips! i can't tell you how much i'm learning about my sweet, sweet little baby and how much i'm loving to watch him grow into a little tiny boy. there remain some mysteries, however, like why did his tiny cooing babble turn into a screech this last week - screeching instead of "talking," screeching instead of crying - it's a mystery to us, and eliminated any idea we thought we had about what he meant with his various cries. also, DOES he like the bath or not? i think so, but he's so stoic during! why does he sometimes insist on partaking of meals while moving his head around like a drunken madman and sometimes not? was it something i ate? what does he think when he stares raptly at his hands for minutes at a time? what goes through his head?

and most pressingly, what IS that tune that plays on the tiny love playmat? it's driving me crazy! looks like the casting couch might have a new song ready made for it...

yes, our very own Will, proving to be quite the cyclone, has arrived into the world! after 51 annoyingly painful hours of mommy's laboring and striving, Will forced the issue and entered this existence via c-section at 11:45PM on November 1, 2007. The new fam got home from the hospital yesterday, and are recovering quite nicely, figuring out breastfeeding as a family unit, and exploring Will's new universe right along with him! We are so proud he's here! He's my new favorite thing in the entire world, and i believe has conquered that top spot in my heart for the rest of my life, yes.

Another glimpse into our world, mere days into William's young life, and only an hour after Julie's first shower in a week....we all felt (and smelled) GOOD:

did you know?

i didn't! casting couch LIVE at the Parish, Austin, TX, earlier this summer...see me and wendy harmonize so beautifully! see my husband, cleverly hidden inside a giant stuffed octopod!