Whipped.

I went to the AGI conference yesterday and Tuesday, and it kicked my ass. It wasn’t that difficult, truly, but the combined lack of sleep, driving, moving/walking/listening/conversing/absorbing really drained me. I haven’t been this exhausted since the START of my pregnancy (before I even knew I was pregnant we had a student portfolio review at BGSU and organizing that event exhausted me beyond belief and as soon as the event was over I literally crashed for that night and the entire following day and 1/2). I’m feeling that way again and need to just go die for awhile; it’s amazing what pregnancy does for your endurance!

This has been a crazy wonderful summer. Part of me is mourning the loss of the freedom that will come with the baby, but I know that life will change in a really positive way. In the interim, I’ve been exposing the baby (ok, so really, myself) with as much design as possible. Ethan should already be one design savvy baby, and hopefully, will continue to be! Here’s my list so that by this time next summer I’ll remember it all!

• co-organized AIGA Toledo Student Portfolio Review
• attended HOW Conference, Boston
• attended AIGA Leadership Retreat, Omaha
• co-hosted SWEAT Workshop, June
• AIGA Toledo DesignWhat? exhibition, August
• UseLess Toledo launch party, August
• co-hosted AIGA Toledo Marcia Lausen luncheon, September
• AGI conference, Chicago, September

Alas, I think my design adventures are going to be over for awhile (at least for non-local events) but I will reconvene next Fall at the AIGA Conference in Memphis!!!

Back to AGI for a moment: it was a wonderful 2 days, and I am thankful that this opportunity was made possible for students (and faculty)! It was also wonderful to get back to SAIC and see so many old friends. That was almost the best part (and that’s saying a lot considering that the speakers were all world-class).

I’m not good at blogging consistently.

But I am enjoying being pregnant. The start of school was very hectic, and I’m finding that 4 weeks into the semester things are calming down somewhat and I’m getting into a routine. Already I’m affected by Baby Fidler in that I can’t stay up too late and I have to have regular meals; two limitations that make me have to plan ahead (so… those are great for when I plan ahead, bad news for when I’m too “busy”). My goals are to get everything ready & set up prior to Ethan’s arrival. It’s amazing how that most of the time little Ethan is all I’m thinking about, and if something else forces my attention, Baby Ethan is still 50% in my thoughts. I haven’t been this infatuated with something since falling in love with Andrew!

The baby is really Ethan to me. But what if he comes out and he doesn’t look like an Ethan? What if, by the 10% chance, it’s a girl? Being pregnant is amazing in that it really requires a control freak like myself to just sit back and try to be patient.

I can regularly feel the baby kick (to the point if I don’t feel him I worry something is awry). And, on the intense kicks you can feel them from the outside. Andrew found this underwhelming but I thought it to be incredibly cool. This week (or next week– depending on which calendar & which midwife you ask) I will officially enter my 3rd trimester; the homestretch! At my 20 week ultrasound they said my due date might now be Dec. 28th… so I’m in the range of Dec. 28-Jan. 4th, though really once I get my final grades turned in (Dec. 21st), I’ll be happy!

I am planning on a natural birth at St. Luke’s hospital with a midwife & doula (and Andrew!). Truthfully, birthing naturally is not soley to prevent the drug interaction with the baby (though you should watch the film The Business of Being Born) as much as the selfish reason that I want to feel the endorphin rush after the delivery; a sensation women can have only after a natural birth. I also want to see if I’m strong enough… [so no horror stories of other births, please! I'm thinking positive!]

[We're 90% sure] it’s a boy!

So for now, we’ll be looking forward to Ethan Andrew Fidler…

woo woo woo woo woo woo (fetal heartbeat sound)

‘Wow, there really is a baby in there”

These were Andrew’s words after we got to hear that baby’s heartbeat today for the first time. That was a really, really exciting moment b/c I hadn’t had any real “proof” of the baby recently, aside from the ultrasound at 6.5 weeks– and the baby has grown and developed a lot since then. Attached is the ultrasound from May. The baby is but only a little seed shape (there is an arrow that points to it) at that time! Now at 14.5 weeks, it would actually look like a baby.

it was freezing

Last night I had my first really vivid dream about the baby. It was a boy [which I have been feeling that the baby would be from almost day 1-- I can't wait until I can find out the gender to know if my "intuition" is correct or not] and in the dream we were all clearly referring to him as Ethan [which is the boy name we've picked out]. I’m hoping that these dreams don’t become a habit b/c they’re actually really stressful!

In the dream, for some reason we were shopping at Meijer, but it was so cold and I kept trying to swaddle the baby with a big towel and a bathmat. But that bathmat had rubber on the bottom that made it not want to stay close to the baby. It was of course nighttime and freezing and windy; and his little hat kept falling off… and we were at a wedding reception prior to that but I think I forgot the baby was there until my mom showed up with it [and then I was guilty for forgetting the baby].

baby fidler

It would seem that Baby Fidler is already keeping me awake in the middle of the night– at least, since i’m usually a really sound sleeper, i’m blaming the insomnia on the baby-to-be. And hey, it’s actually given me a reason to blog again!

I’ve been very lucky [knocking on wood] and I’ve had a very mild pregnancy so far [fatigue, but no morning sickness!!!]. I found out I was pregnant on April 27th, and it has been so amazing. Andrew & I cannot wait for Baby Fidler to make their first appearance, and I’m counting down to January 4th, 2009.

More to come…

[quick addendum: I only went "public" with the news last Friday when I officially told BGSU]

lunar

this is the beginning of an experiment… on the next lunar eclipse I will begin w/ the start of the alphabet and create all the glyphs in alphabetical order, so that the shadow’s movement corresponds w/ the order of the letters… often people create typography by shooting on a tripod w/ a light source and camera on a long shutter; this is the inverse of that process

*hot* air

I’m really excited about the latest releases from Apple… not just because I’m jealously drooling over the new technology & svelte figure of the Air (because I am!), but because it’s absolutely inspired me to think more progressively about the connectivity in my home & studio, in addition to my working methods. Actually, I guess I mean rather than WORKING methods … how about THINKING methods… and ways of working with more mobility.

The only question is, how will all of these amazingly tech savy folks (like the bulk of the keynote address’ audience) who are aggressively productive, have time to sit around and download and watch all of those movies now available through iTunes!?

Millman Rocks

Last night Jenn (my collaborator) and I trekked to an AIGA Cleveland event to see Debbie Millman. She was conjecturing about the next wave of branding (transformational brands); without giving it all away, she is advocating that the most successful brands must create meaningful and authentic connections with their audience. You might think that’s a no brainer, but why is it still so difficult to do? Here are some of my notes…

I also appreciate Debbie’s very honest love of brands. I have a love hate relationship with Starbucks. More love, now. Debbie also treated us to a brief rendition of “her name was Lola…”

Overall, very inspiring!

• The morton salt tagline of “when it rains, it pours” is sheer genius. [I'm not going to retell the entire thing here but seriously, go look up the story]
• We disdain & criticize brands, but why are we still so compelled by them?
• Finding/making authentic meaningful connections, in the most honest way, is the best use of our skills.
• Brands that make it to the level of tranformational brands still need to fulfill our prehistoric, basic human needs.
• “There’s always a backlash. There’s always a backlash. There’s always a backlash.” (no logo | logo)
• The green movement needs to to stay honest & connected. It will be successful if it can keep individuals feeling good about their participatory efforts.
• What’s wave 6?

wheels

I have a white buick century. I think I would like to wrap it like the TARTA bus project. I wonder how much this will cost & what I should encapsulate my car with.