As most of you already know, I had a little boy name Levi on August 9. This would explain my great hiatus from throwing, making, creating, posting, selling.... etc. Hopefully I will be back in the studio very soon! I will have limited time there, so I will probably not be working on many custom orders, but mostly wholesale and show work.
Now... on to a Baby Named Levi...
This is by far one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I am speaking for both my husband and I when I say that. When you read this, many of you will think, " Well duh, didn't she know that going into it?". I did know that it would not be easy, but when people tell you that you will never be prepared, they are so very right. I will spare you the gory details of his birth, but let me just say that it was very scary and I feel so blessed that Levi and I were both ok afterward. I did end up getting induced and had him without the aid of any pain meds (not so sure that I can do that again... but hey, I did it once...). Once he was born we realized that he was not getting any nourishment from me and had to supplement with formula for a couple of days. We went to lactation specialists and ultimately ended up working with an occupational therapist. We now see our OT every week to work on Levi's mouth, his muscles, and his ability to just eat. He has made huge strides and now will even latch on! Honestly, we had given up on that idea, but it may be a possibility with the help of these wonderful people that have been placed in our lives. We are still working up to breastfeeding and are mainly feeding him using this handy "special needs bottle" made by Medela. Levi is gaining weight and seems to be staying awake longer which tells us that he is in fact making improvements! Yay! Other than the eating issue, Levi is a very healthy, happy, adorable little dude. If you follow me on Instagram, I apologize for the abundance of baby photos and lack of pots!
Next, Some Other Updates...
Farm Fresh Fair 2016 is right around the corner and we will be there among some other amazing makers! The Farm at Rabon Creek is such a neat place to go, especially for this event! Who doesn't like a farm with donkeys and chickens as well as handmade goods all around?? Am I right? (Secretly, I really want to live on this farm!) But anyway, Farm Fresh Fair is September 17 10am-5pm and September 18 11am-4pm. If you would like any extra info on the event, you can find it here. Come by and say "hello" at our booth under the covered stall area! This will be Levi's first big appearance as the Oak Leaf Pottery baby and he would love to meet everyone!
I am also excited to say that we will be participating in Crafty Feast again this year! Crafty Feast will be on December 11 from 12- 6pm at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia, SC. This is our second year participating and last year we had an absolute blast! I am super thrilled to be a part of this event!! There are so many wonderful makers who participate, as well as amazing coordinators. This is not an event that you should miss! Find the information for the event here.
Thank you to everyone who reads my incredibly random posts and who puts up with my lack of punctuation skills. (eh-hem... thank you, Dan, for pointing that out on several occasions...) We really appreciate all of your love and support!!