I’ve been working on a new venture lately, and so far it’s going well.  Over the last few months I’ve had a lot of people ask me to make diaper cakes for them because they just don’t have the time or desire to learn to do so.  It’s turned into a nice little side business for me, and I’ve decided to expand to the internet.  I decided to setup a website not because I think I’ll have so many orders coming in I’ll need to invest in a posguys barcode scanner (although it would be nice to have orders pouring in), but because I wanted a place to showcase some of the cakes I have already made.

I’ve been putting pamphlets, and business cards out at a few local businesses, and those have been doing well.  I think having a website that I could include on the material would allow possible customers to see even more of my work when trying to decide if they would like to hire me.  Any online orders would be an added benefit.

The website has been coming together pretty well even though I’ve only got an hour or so at a time to work on it, so I don’t know why I’m feeling so nervous about launching it.  I admit I could have probably launched it a few days ago, but I’ve been procrastinating.  Even though people have been showing interest and I’ve had a few orders I still sometimes feel like people will take a look at the site and think my work is absolute crap.  Maybe it’s because I’m a perfectionist who is always finding at least one thing on each cake I’m not happy with.  Maybe it’s just a normal reaction to launching something new.  Only time will tell how things go, but I feel the cost of the website and a few hours of my time is a small price to pay to possibly expand my little side business into something more.

What did we do today?  I started the morning at 7:30am with a cranky toddler who kept begging for the one thing I refuse to give her…”boo juice”.  I swear she has got to be the hardest to wean!  I know a ton of other breastfeeding mothers, and not a single one of them has had the problems with weaning that I’ve had.  I was totally prepared for it to be hard, but with my child “hard” has become quite the understatement.  Downright impossible is more like it.

We spent a majority of the day at home dealing with said cranky toddler.  She has been in the worst mood ever, refusing to take naps most of the week, taking a late evening nap on the days she just can’t stand to hold her eyes open anymore, and waking up again the next morning as a total terror tot.  I don’t know what’s up with her, but I do know there have been plenty of times I’ve felt like pulling my hair out today.  I don’t expect motherhood to be easy.  I don’t expect it to always be a joy, and today was one of those days that tested me so much I thought every last nerve in my body would be fried by bedtime.

At 3pm we gave up on trying to get Ellie to sleep, and we took a ride to the General Dollar.  I desperately needed a few items, and I thought the ride might put her to sleep.  No such luck.  At least she acted like an angel in the store, but an hour later when we arrived at my cousin’s baby shower terror tot surfaced again.  My child isn’t always perfect, but never has she acted the way she did today.  The shower was at the lake, so Ben broke down and took Ellie swimming early (we’d planned to go after the shower) hoping to calm her down a bit.  It worked for about 15 minutes, and then I had to break my obligation to my cousin because my obligation to my child was more important.  We all swam together for a bit, and that calmed her down.  I was very thankful for the few relaxing minutes in the water.  It was much needed.

When Ellie started showing out again we packed up and headed home.  I did the one thing I’ve been trying so hard not to do because I just couldn’t come up with any other options.  I broke down and breastfed her.  15 minutes later she was in bed and quiet as a mouse.  I settled down on the couch with my netbook, started looking at some engraved beer steins I think would make a great gift for Ben’s anniversary present, and I prayed Ellie was finally out for the night.  Lord knows she desperately needs to sleep, and my sanity needs her to sleep as well.  An hour later she’s still snoozing away, and I’m crossing my fingers she’s going to stay that way tonight.

I just wish I could figure out what’s making her so unhappy and unable to sleep.  She recently busted through a few teeth, but I can’t see or feel any new ones making their way through.  She isn’t sick, and she seems to be perfectly fine except for the sleep issue that’s making her cranky.  I know a portion of it is the weaning, but we’ve been working on the weaning for months without it ever getting this bad.  Hopefully it’s just a phase she’s going through, and it’ll pass soon for all our sakes.