Week in Review (3RD WK OF OCT)

Hello, all!

I am so happy to try this first "Week in Review". I'm just going to be talking about the highlights of my past week. Hopefully, this turns out somewhat interesting.


Monday (10/19/15)

Izzy's 9 month appointment! She weighs 18 lbs. and 9 oz. and measures about 2 feet long. All she got was 1/2 of a flu shot does that she needs to come back for to get the second shot.

















Tuesday (10/20/15)

We got to volunteer to hang out in Izzy's infant room in the morning so the classroom teacher could go to a staff appreciation breakfast on campus! It was so much fun hanging out with all the babies and spending a little extra time with our little bean. (:
















The same day, I had a final critique for an art project that I've titled "take a penny, leave a penny". This piece is about how I've lost a child and how I've gained a child. It was a lot of fun to do and made me smile the whole time. ^___^

Thursday (10/22/15)

I spent three hours watching the new Heroes season.

Friday (10/23/15)

These brilliant photos came out... and I put the video of the performance up! I'm still reminiscing of last weekend.

Saturday and Sunday (10/24 and 10/25/15)

I've spent this lovely weekend with my family. Yesterday, we took some long walks and watched the NCDF performance at Valborg.

Thanks for tuning in! (:

xxx,

Beth

Loose Leaves Showcase (Fall 2015)

Hello, all!

I am so happy to be blogging about this wonderful experience. I couldn't describe it any other way. It truly was a remarkable moment to behold. I applied to choreograph for the showcase early September and was notified of my acceptance a few days after. Then, I started working on the piece later that month with a group fellow dancers. Kai used to be on Entropy Dance Crew with EC and I, and I had met Jason during FADE auditions. We practiced about twice a week for 4-6 hours per week until the performance during Fall Break on October 17 and 18.

I finished choreographing the whole shebang after three rehearsals and for the rest of the time, we cleaned, worked on spacing and formations, and intent. Overall, I think the whole experience was very helpful for me as a choreographer and dancer in the NC community. 

The best part was being able to connect with fellow dancers and choreographers who were also new mamas! I met a mother of a 9 month old, Camerin Watson, and a mother of a 6 month old, Elsie Mufuka. Both of these dancers produced wonderful works while staying true to their new found identity of motherhood. It was inspiring to see these women as examples, as colleagues, as creative people. 

10 out of 10, would do again.

xxx,

Beth

P.S. - here is the link to the video of the piece: https://youtu.be/zV2Ep6XjCfs

Are you being objective or subjective?

Hey friends,

It's been a long while but recently, I've been doing a whole lot of thinking about the words "objectivity" and "subjectivity". These two words have a lot to do with life, especially right now, but maybe especially all the time. Many people lash out with emotions full of feelings that can be either objective or subjective and the way these feelings come about can be due to either of these things, as well.

Being objective means acting, speaking, and living through facts while being subjective is driven by opinions. What's so messy about this idea is that facts and opinions are still hard for the multitude to grasp.

No matter where you go in the world, there will be opposing forces which can be one or the other. A calculator is objective and a Facebook post is subjective. What's difficult about being objective is how hard it is to relate to something without emotion, feeling, or human attributes. A Facebook post is more filled with a person's manner of speaking and therefore something we can relate with.

I've encountered so many differing opinions in different conflicts. From discrimination to the art world to the dance world to the university as an organization...it's hard to take one side. Many things can be seen as black and white while others can take on a variety of grays. Taking all the art supplies from a classroom without notifying anyone? Wrong. This is stealing. Or is it right? Were the materials not being used regardless? Putting Football games on Thursday nights which are still a school night...? Right or wrong? Is this person racist? Are some services biased and wrongly force this opinion on their patrons? Are we being fair to every person and respecting all kinds of people's choices? Are we saying things out of turn? Are we publicizing a pretty image or who we actually are? If this person is a feminist, does that make them wrong? Donald Trump? Gun rights?

These things aren't black and white. Nothing is black and white. I suggest to all of you, to try as hard as you can to be unbiased, to live in a mind that can accept all things and act in the best possible solution (or not solution, not everything needs to be resolved). But seeing all sides and taking time to understand people you don't even want to look at might be eye-opening and better help you make an argument for the side you stand on.

Take a deep breath and listen.

xxx
Beth

6 MONTHS POSTPARTUM + BABY UPDATE!

• I am no longer breastfeeding. Izzy is completely on formula and eating rice cereal at least twice a day.
• Izzy can now sit up for a good while before she falls!
• Izzy can move in a circle and roll over but no back or forward crawling yet!
• Izzy weighs about 15 and a half pounds and is 25 inches long.
• She is being called Izzy more instead of Belly.
• She smiles all the time now! And laughs a lot. She's talking a whole lot more and will actually hold a conversation for a while.
• She can hold a bottle by herself!
• She is sleeping through the night now. She's very active during the day and takes a few long naps or lots of short ones.
• Izzy likes to bounce or pat her hands to music or rhythms!
• Izzy is starting daycare on August 3 and just got a note to tell them to put her to sleep on her tummy!
• As a mama, I want to hold every single baby I see. Even if I have Izzy and especially if I don't.
• Izzy's poops are definitely stinkier.
• My postpartum body is still at the same weight as it was five months ago! Once the year and Izzy's daycare starts, I will be doing a lot more to stay healthy and active.

Also, today we moved out of our apartment we have been living in for the last year. Today marks the start of a new journey WITH Isabella! I will be writing/creating some blog posts about the new beginning including some home decor, home cleaning, exercise, dance-related, college, and mommy-related subjects! Some if not all of these will be combined in some way, shape, or form. Look forward to those!

Thank you for keeping up with me and my little family. (:

xxx

Beth

Being in the moment.

Around this time last year, we went hiking at Julian Price Park.
The past few days, we've been hiking the trail at the same park to Hebron Rock Colony.

Last year, I was asked by a course I was taking to take a day without technology. I caved later in the day to using my cell phone and my computer.

Now, I feel at peace with technology. I say that with my laptop in front of me, my phone to the left, and my Nintendo DS to the right...

But, really, I do feel at peace. Yesterday, at the falls, all I could do was gawk in awe of it's natural beauty. I totally lost track of where my phone is. I didn't care for pictures. I recently started playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It's almost to the point of being religious. But in front of that waterfall, I couldn't do anything but stare in complete amazement. It was truly amazing.

Now, with all the stuff happening in my life, I am able to stop for a minute and think "Wow, this is amazing". Before, I would have stuff racked up in my brain and have not been able to hear myself think.

It's crazy how things can change in a year.

It's crazy thinking about where we used to be.

xxx

Beth

LET'S CATCH UP: 5 MONTH BABY & POSTPARTUM UPDATE!

Hey, guys! It's been a great 5 months and I just want to let you all in on how Izzy, EC, and I are doing.

Izzy:

• Can sit up with a little help.
• Grabs at everything put in front of her (esp. food and plastic containers).
• Puts anything she can into her mouth.
• Can put her feet in her mouth.
• Sleeps about 10-11 hours at night and wakes up in the middle of it to eat.
• Takes at least two naps a day.
• Loves to be in our Infantino mei tai carrier.
• Is super drooly always from teething.
• Is almost ready for real, kind of solid food.

Postpartum:

• Dancing is easier. Although the other day, I pulled something in my pelvis that hurt for a split second. Obviously, I still have limitations.
• I'm still at 170 lbs. I stopped losing weight once Izzy turned three months. I look like I'm five months pregnant instead of five months postpartum. Which I may not start to work on until I'm done breastfeeding Izzy.
• I'm having to eat foods to help produce milk (oatmeal, garlic, veggies, etc.).
• I walk five miles a day no problem but when I have to carry her in the carrier, my feet hurt like I'm still pregnant.
• Hydration is more important than anything else right now.

EC:

• Is figuring out how to be motherly while still being a father.
• Loves dancing with Izzy in tow.
• Loves doing chores around the house with Izzy in tow.
• Suggested he bring Izzy to work with him.
• Is getting a little more sleep than he used to thanks to late night shifts and the times when Izzy can be really fussy.

Overall:

• We are trying to be more frugal.
• We also have Nini here with us (It's tight, but working).
• We have been vegetarian for about a month now.
• We're dancing/choreographing more.
• Working more.
• Everything more.

Thank God for all these things that are possible through the life He has given us.

xxx

Beth

P.S. - here are some links to some new YouTube videos we have up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibes2isIUlc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ptFScus0wo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibes2isIUlc

What is a nice thing?

This is why we can't have nice things:

• I don't think I have enough nice things.
• I'm too attached to material objects: clothes, home decor, etc.
• I go into stores, look at things, and find a place for each thing instead of being at home, needing a thing, and buying only that thing when I go to a store.
• I don't understand the meaning of a nice thing.
• Instant gratification is more pleasing than long term; I'm an impatient person.

In short, I don't need any more than I have.

A few of the things I value most:

• Quality family time.
• Quality spouse time.
• Quality friend time.
• Quality moments.
• Not quality things.

EC and I have come to a point where we walk into the store and think "Wow. I don't feel like I need anything in here". And he's right. We don't. We never have. We only need the roof over our heads, the food on our table, and the people who love us.

Right now, our extra money is going to paying credit cards, settling debts, and knowing exactly how much we have. It's not about living within our means, it's about loving what we have.

I have plenty of nice things.

xxx

Beth