Watching the Sun (Son) Rise
Insider #134 with notes from parenthood and links to upcoming events
Dear Insider,
There are new events on the horizon and your free seat awaits! Scroll below to grab them. In today’s post, early mornings and observations with Rohan.
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The Sun Rises
My early morning feed with Rohan used to happen in the darkness of pre-dawn. But as the season changes, the rays of the sun creep forward just a little further, just a little earlier, every morning. Two very different birds usher in the morning light. Sometimes I hear them when Rohan is still on my lap. Sometimes I miss hearing them because I am trying to burp him and he is being fussy. A couple of times I had already put him down to rest, and was able to open the balcony door to hear them more clearly.
One is a duck, most likely a wigeon. They are migratory birds flying up the west coast of North America. They party hard every night and, at dawn, return to rest at the seasonal pond nearby. I am informed by the Merlin Bird ID app that the other bird is a black-capped chickadee.
Dear Insider, do you know the birds of your environment? Do you go birding? If so, any advice for a curious beginner with a sketchbook?
Rest After a Long Day
Now that the weather is better, we go out more often. This means Rohan has a rigorous schedule of being a baby and doing baby things in various outdoor environments.
But no chores yet. Or tiresome ideas of productivity. Or a silly number burned into his brain refusing to go up, up, up all the time. Also no notifications, that's a big one. We made an inbox for him last week, to which we will send emails. One day, he will presumably inherit hundreds of unread emails from his parents.
For now he lives on his own time in his own era, living amongst us but not quite in this world. (Unfortunately, there will be plenty of time for that later.)
His wants are simple things, so it makes perfect sense that his lower lip trembles and his face scrunches up and his complexion turns red when we cannot provide them at the correct time. We are the insensible ones, not him. He is exactly himself, exactly who he is supposed to be.
Dear Insiders-who-are-also-Parents, is there a sense of loss when your child begins to better understand their world? Why do I feel sad at the prospect of Rohan recognizing us as humans, and himself too?
The Son Also Rises
Tomorrow Rohan will be ten weeks. That is not a very long time. But already, it feels like forever. Already, in fact, the memories of those first couple of weeks feel like a distant dream. Foggy at the edges, the details fading, and our experiences reduced to fervent reconstructions in desperate need of mutual corroboration. Did he really keep us up at night? Did I ever complain about his hiccups? Were we really afraid of falling asleep around him? Me, really?
Is Early Parenthood Amnesia a real thing?
We are doing more Tummy Time with Rohan. Tummy Time is essential for newborn development as it encourages them to raise their heads which strengthens their neck and shoulder muscles. I suppose that makes Rohan a gym bro and this his first workout pic.
Upcoming Events
📖 Next Sunday,
and I are running a FREE Zoom session where we flip through our sketchbooks and chat about drawing little ones in the family. Gayle sketches her granddaughter regularly and is now on the 4th dedicated sketchbook. Join us!