Fuzzy photo but at least you can see the three babies who got their bodies today. As Harmony said when she saw them, " They do look like boys." and I had given them all boy's names. The several preemie sleepers came in handy for these little babies as they fit perfectly. They are lying here waiting to be weighed and signed in tomorrow.
The three bigger babies with stem eyes get their bodies tomorrow. I decided to quit early so I could try to get this eyeball in with morning strength and energy.

In an earlier effort to get eyes in this kit, I cut away the eye socket so I have to make one out of duct tape. The eye was in place okay until I started stuffing that side of the head. Then it went wonky and finally fell out in my lap. The baby looks sad as if she regrets making an issue with her eyeball.  All 12 limbs are stuffed as are the other two heads so all I need to do is cut out and sew the three bodies in the morning.
Harmony stopped by in the afternoon to hand-deliver the donation from Yasmin - our very first!  Suddenly I feel the universe is taking care of not only me, but also the orphanage and all the babies in it. This week is bringing us 6 babies instead of only three.

I pulled up my socks in an effort to stop missing the babies on their way to Japan by taking on a job I have been avoiding for weeks. Finally all my efforts to buy the stemmed eyeballs had culminated in a pile of such eye balls in various sizes. I had found Amazon offered stemmed eyeballs in plastic, instead of glass, and they were a lot cheaper so I could avoid that problem. These were cheap enough allowing me to get an assortment of eyeballs. I hauled out the big basket with six baby body kits - all needing the stemmed eyes.
The Force was with me. The three small babies allowed me to press the eyeball in from the front of the eye so I did not need to cut open the sockets. First I put the heads in the sun to warm up. The eyeballs that I could finally press into the head were not as big as the socket inside of the head so I stuffed that full of cotton. That was a long wiggly process but was good to occupy my head and my hands. Here they are on the birthing table so hopefully I can stuff the heads and limbs today.

The three bigger heads would also only accept smaller eyeballs than the socket. It could be that the proper size would go in if I had more power in my push. Again I stuffed cotton in around the eyeball and used UHU glue to hold it in place. I even controlled my desire to 'get the job done' by  leaving the one eyeball dry completely before doing the second one. I feel I know now how to get something in the eye socket and can do it again.

When I came in the house I checked my computer I found my bill to G. for the postage was not been passed on by Paypal, but that she had initiated the transaction on her own and sent the money without a bill. What a blessing that was. An even greater blessing was that she sent more money that we paid for the postage as her way of welcoming the babies to Japan and good times ahead. Suddenly I am no longer sad about seeing them go away, but feel they will be well-taken care of when they arrive. Thanks G.!

I knew this was happening today - the dolls for Japan would be mailed off and there would be a big empty place in the studio. So I saved Blaze, hoping her eyes would be glued in place, and that she, with her kind, gentle face would get me through the day.

She was properly concerned and went together with no problems. even her eyes stayed on place. We found a really cute, soft sleeper for her in the new pile and she posed her very best. Not good enough for the deep hole I slid into. The box from Bountiful Baby arrived with new hands for Lefty so I tried to find my joy in him. I even gave him a new sleeper to show off his matching hands.

He was so thrilled with the jammies and the Santa that I could not get him to sit in place with his hands out. He is a sweet little guy and very soft and cuddly now. I put his pink striped jammies on Blonde Blaze but that still does not make her the one I miss so much.
In a final attempt to find peace I took a long nap in my chair so felt somewhat better afterwards. More than a nap I wanted chocolate but there is the scales in the doctor's office on Friday.  I was able to assemble the new brown body for the monkey who had been wearing cheetah fur and mostly get him in it. I need help tying his neck on. For some unknown reason it keeps slipping off. I need to knot the string on tighter. Tomorrow I may be tougher.

This was the crew when I realized I had never made a photo of the group. On the right is Blaze getting an eye treatment ( the toothpick is to hold her pupil where I want it and not where she wants it) while I worked on the other member of the crew. Beside her is Lily or Lilly who I wish did not look so worried.

Yes, I am doing a Ching baby again. When Lena told me she loved his expression and the open mouth she gave me courage to do another one. Also I am nearly out of kits so adding him filled the slot for this week. The work went well and I was able to Lily into her body also. Thank goodness I had a finished sewing a body from last session and by the sewing machine I found a sewn, but not assembled, a body which went together without a hitch.
All morning I had spent on the computer trying to upload a calendar for next year and it was not working even though I did send the photos over and over. Then the electricity went out because we got 1/4 inch of rain. That ended that fight and stopped me from sewing bodies as I had planned. I was very thankful for the two sewn up bodies as they enabled me to go ahead.

Here is Lily, not looking too confident about Lester Ching's advances. I thought that if I left them alone for a bit they could work it out. By now the electricity was restored so I went back online to Vistaprint. I called and got help (from India!) to get my photos to load and was able to complete the calendar. Now I am thinking of using some other photos. . . Still I feel very good to have that job done.

I was so eager to get this doll made because I missed her sister so much. I had thought, "Oh, they are just dolls so one can replace the other." Not so! Seeing this baby on the shelf in the other Blonde Blaze's place only made me miss her more. Look in those deep eyes. You can see the soul in her that I admired so much.

Seeing again a photo of the first Blonde Blaze just makes me feel worse. I was here in body when Lena and Jeff picked up the box of dolls for Point Arena and then I came inside and sewed the new body for the monkey using the dark brown short pile. What a difference that made.

I am convinced that tomorrow I shall make a new brown body and put the monkey friend into it. That weird cheetah pattern is all wrong and he looks as if he already sees himself in a brown body. I am even tempted to buy more monkeys even though they are not on sale. Then I took the monkey into put him on the photo stand and he kept falling over. I had him on the white fur, which was not the best but I just wanted a quick snapshot.. Finally I pulled the white fur off the set-up and he sat still. It was amazing.

Here he is being very good and posing nicely. I was so pleased with him I was able to fill out the papers for the box for Japan. I had started a new crew today but just realized I forgot to photograph them.

A long day with the time change that began with Nolan giving Holly a foot blessing. He is the brother of the Dolly Lama so holiness becomes him. Sympathy Sam, to his side had taken over the care of the blind bundle baby Robin since Blonde Blaze was picked to go to Point Arena.

Here you can see one of the babies being wrapped in the receiving blanket and put into a plastic carrying bag and then standing in the box on the left. They all just fit in the box and I used the last of those blankets on the last  baby. The Universe was with us all the way.

After lunch I began wrapping the babies for Japan in these colorful polar fleece blankets for their trip to Tokyo in the box to the left. Werner and I tried to weigh the box but it covered up the read-out. Tomorrow Lena and Jeff will pick the Point Arena babies and I am hoping Jeff can hold the box long enough to weigh it. Should be under 50 pounds.

Holly was the first one on the photo stand. I do love the gentleness of her face.

I named this guy Eddie Howard but I only had pink sleepers so he may be considering whether to become an Eddy (Ee-De). His finger is pointing at the pink jammies asking me how I could do this to him.

Cammie is showing off her tattoo. This is the first child we have had with this modern fad. Since I most often give the babies away, I buy the kits as seconds at Bountiful Baby. Most of the time I do not know why the kit failed to pass the test but here Camryn has this.

Late in the afternoon, while the roast roasted I crocheted the caps for the full-limbed Blonde Blaze. I started her because I already miss her sister so much. I think I did the best job ever on such caps. She looked so good to me sitting on the bench I felt it was right to have another from this kit. It got dark before I found jammies for her, but she seemed glad just to be in her new body and wanted to show it off tonight. I am sure the babies have parties when I go to bed and they are free to do what they really want to do!

Ah, I figured out what instigated my sudden burst of energy and 'state of grace' feeling on Saturday. I had not eaten any sugar or chocolate for over two weeks in an effort to lose weight. In my tiredness in the afternoon idly I nibbled some forbidden chocolate chips. That did it. No wonder I crave chocolate so much. Love those 'state of grace' highs.

It must be autumn when I can sit here at 4:00 to sew without being fried. I feel so energized. After Thursday cleaning and then yesterday a visit from Heidi and Ashley, I had planned to start packing babies today but I felt too lonely and down. I would rather create new babies than pack away the ones I love. I started cutting out bodies but just did not have the energy to do even what I wanted to get them ready for the babies. Then Ling Yen came by and I was very glad to sit to talk. Still after lunch I was too tired to even crochet while I rested. I just sat in the chair with my mouth open. Heidi had gotten me into a new part of Audible.com so I could finally listen to any of the books we have bought without having to go through the hassle of downloading, which only worked part time. I started listening to John Steinbeck's East of Eden and I thought, "So this is what the rest of my day will be like. . ." Suddenly about 3:00 I could feel energy flowing into me. I picked up the body for Holly and I watched my hands doing all the right things. To my amazement there she was on the bench holding up her sleepers for my help.
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Instead I reached over and started to work on Cammie's body and again my hands were doing things my mind hardly noticed. In this state, delighting in the cool breezes coming in the studio, Cammie got her body and she could join Holly.

They look like a happy pair of girls even with the short hair. Ashley gave me new incentive to appreciate the beauty of the bald look yesterday. She looked great with her "its growing back" hair-do and I wanted to photograph her and Heidi but from the cleaning action, I could not find my camera. Sorry.
It was still so cool in the living room this afternoon that I came in and sewed another body which goes to Eddie Howard tomorrow. Or maybe since I seem in a state of grace I will pack up babies.

On my way to the studio this morning, as I went through the garage I saw this on the floor that I am sure was not there yesterday. To me it looked as if a very large centipede had met its end. The marks to the left look like stomach segments. To the right it looks like the footprint of a lizard who stepped in centipede goop while having a midnight snack. I know we have a resident alligator lizard family in or under the porch. I welcome them being my watch-dog for insects. Many years ago, when my studio was a ceramic workshop I had many spiders for a long time. Then all at once they were all gone. Many days later while, sweeping up rain water that had leaked in, I found, under an overturned bowl, the big old granddaddy of the lizard family. I gently helped him go outside. Enough about the wild life.
I finished first preparing the babies that will go to Point Arena. Tommy was the last one. I took the time to iron the outfit and it looked so much better.

I asked her if she had seen the death battle of a lizard and centipede. Here you can see her girly response to bugs and lizards!
I kept looking at the corner where the Blonde Blaze always sat as she kept her eye on me, and everyone else, while I worked. She was no longer there and I missed her so much that I got out another Blaze kit, put it in a tray in line with the others.

I feel so much better knowing that in a day or two this sweet face will be back on the shelf with me. I stuffed the limbs and heads of the other three on the crew. Would love to make tomorrow body-giving day but Mary comes to clean.

As I was wishing the babies good-night I saw Eli was not spending the night alone. He had his puppy. Mr. A wrote that the puppies arrived yesterday in New York and every one was very excited about them. Already they were being given out. Little does he know I still have one here for Eli.

Ta-dah! Here is the crew for the week with their eyes already in by noon today. On the left is an unnamed baby with EH only on the back of his head, Camryn in the middle and another Holly on the end. I thought I took a photo of arms and legs but the camera does not remember me doing that. I had told myself I was going to have enough 'work' this week to keep me busy without adding a crew to it but something in me was unhappy until I started this batch. Now my heart is happy.  They are the last of my kits in this size.  I have 3 of those tiny babies I do not really like to do but they will be better than nothing at all next week. I got out the basket of kits with stemmed eyes (5 of them) and will slowly work on finding a way to make them usable. Then my back will be against the wall which becomes a rock and a hard place. I need to buy babies!
At 3:00 Lena arrived and almost immediately she fell in love with one of Ching babies. The first person I have ever met who liked that open smile as much as I did. We are on the same wave-length! She picked out 12 babies for the local Senior Citizens which will be delivered by the meals-on-wheels volunteers. I asked to keep the babies a few days to give them their diapers and check their tie-ons and to have one last goodbye with them. Just last night I had checked Elijah so I knew he was ready to go. I wrapped him in a blanket and gave him a goodbye hug and handed him over to Lena so she has an example for Micheline. On the birthing table were the others she picked.

I couldn't get them all in the view so here are the rest of them.

The blankets never arrived from SF and Amazon. This morning I did do the packet for the customs people. Maybe the blankets will be here Wednesday.

I picked Rieke to start with so I stayed inside after breakfast to make her a body with the new untried pouches for her full-length arms. I was so glad to just sit in the recliner that I took my time basting in the area for strings. With them flattened a bit by basting I was able to sew them more neatly which pleased me.

Rieke with her new body waiting on her to jump into it. You can see the dolly joint in place on the arm pocket and how different the leg caps are. She was pleased to be this close to her new body, that the sun was shining and that I felt like working.

I still find the heavy vinyl on the ends of the arms too think or sitting wrong, but this was the best I could do for her. Then she got her lips repainted and black hair painted on. She did need more help to get back into her pink pj's.

We even had time, after lunch for her portrait photos and here she was a lot more relaxed and happy. I wished her sleeper did not have "I love Mommy" in English written across the chest. Here we got the idea of hiding it with her hands. I hope her Japanese Mom will immediately buy her new sleepers.

Here is Rieke taking DeeDee's place in the line-up to go to Japan. It looks as if she is reaching out to clasp the hands of the babies on each side of her. That is so like her personality.

Back in the studio I was able to finally put Holly together. She was such a dear child she went together with no trouble. However, finding a sleeper was more difficult. I had one really cute one but when we got it on it was too big for her. This yellow one fit her perfectly but she did not like the pink whales on it. I put a pink cap on her hoping it would make her happy and pull the outfit together. She only wanted to pull the cap off.

This is Holly's idea of a dirty look! She just cannot get that smile off her face no matter how angry she is with me for photographing her in an ugly sleeper

The poor babies all got put on hold today. I was finally able to get into RCMS's urgent care, which took two hours again today, and I got a warning that THIS is for urgent care only, not infected ingrown toenails. Anyhow I went out with a bunch of red pills and the good news that my sugar numbers are normal.
Back home after lunch I tried to fix Rieki's long arms to fit into her body but finally had to give into reason and cut away the whole thing. She is still smiling in a cloud of her stuffing.

I will try to sew her a new body tomorrow if the antibiotic does not make me feel worse. On the table is Holly waiting in all her gentleness. At least she has her body. Hmmm. I wonder if it would fit Rieki? The question of the day awaits us all.

Here are the last 4 babies to fulfill the order for Japan. Now all ten are ready to go but I would really like to send them in matching blankets so I hope that order arrives on Monday and I can begin to put them into a box for their journey.

I was pleased that I was able to work on these, after spending 1 1/2 hours at RCMS waiting to get into urgent care for the ingrown toenail. After I got these done I returned to fixing Rieki's arms. I tried to save the joints in her body by crocheting new small arm caps. I got both on, after a struggle, when I saw the one was already slipping off. I was glad I was able to catch it! I am hoping I can take her upper half apart and make new arm caps with new joints for her today. In the meantime Holly is still waiting on me to get to her.
DeeDee, the one in a white sleeper above, is a bit fat and I think the Japanese would prefer the slimmer Rieki if I can get her arms secure in new caps. That is why I am finishing her instead of helping Holly into her body. She is a patient child I hope.

Got an order from Japan for 10 babies in specific sizes so my first job in the studio was to make sure I had either girls or boys in those sizes. I did and I had enough that I could exchange out any that did not shape up the way I wanted them to be. By tonight I had these 6 ready to go.

On my table as works in progress that I could not finish tonight was this group. That is Candy, she needs her hair drawn on, checking out Gabriel whose glue was drying. Tomorrow he will be done and I am hoping with fresh morning energy I can draw Candy some nice hair without making errors as I was doing tonight. 

Since I know these babes are going to Japan, all the babies lacking hair are now getting black hair so they fit in. This is example of why I often do not completely finish a baby until I know where it is going. Left on the table are these babies for tomorrow. Holly still waits in her tray to be "born.'

One of this group will not go to Japan and we will let the morning light decide which one should stay here.

I had planned to send Rieki but today I discovered I had ignored her full arms and need to crochet the caps for them. So she gets to stay even though her name is right but her arms are not.

I got a card from Lena and we talked then on the phone. She is going to be the contact go-between for the local Senior Citizen and me. She will come on Monday to pick out some babies to take back so the ladies can see what they are like and get their hands on them. Again I have requests for something for the gents, too. BB still do not have their  baby pigs in so I am stuck with monkeys and puppies.

It seemed that my whole day went into this box. I finalized the puppies and wrapped them in their new blankets which made very nice packages for mailing. In the bottom of the box are Dieter and Gloria. I had no trouble saying goodbye to the dogs but parting from the kids was terrible again. By noon I had the box closed and then I tried to make the mailer with USPS.com. I must have entered the information 15 times and each time it would fail to flip to the next page for billing and printing. I could have gone postal! I am ashamed how angry it all made me.
The weather was as google predicted. The fog rolled in making our day cloudy and nicely cool again. In an attempt to settle down to work again I came in to photograph the three babies I had ready. Holly is still in her tray waiting on me to find my good mother soul to bring her into being.

I automatically picked Punkin 4 first because it is so easy to relate to him and his kind. Those sleepers are fleece which felt very good today and it was a joy to cuddle him. I see I should have picked this photo. Here his open mouth looks slightly smaller. Maybe I should try again. How could I miss that?

Once while resting in the morning I tried to find smaller jammies for Jimmy but this, the only pair for boys, is now too small for him. I really need to go shopping for new sleepers, but the lady I like to buy from is not on eBay and did not answer an email. I was sorry to put him in grey but it was either these or pink ones.

I am so thrilled with Jimmy's merry being that I may make another bid on a kit of his kind. I had been ignoring them since I was so unhappy with Cindy and had sworn not to buy another. He even makes gray sleepers look great. What a cheerful child.

By the time I got to Blaze Dear everything I had was aching and I did not notice the bit of her blue body showing at her neck. As soon as I came to photograph the sun came through and I had to move everything to make my own shade. One would not know the sun was blazing down on us when this was shot. She has such a gentle, quietness about her. It feel unable to be upset about anything when I look at her. She spreads out peace like a wide pool. Here I am already doing the write-ups for the portraits in the Therapy Reborns' file when I should be shooting this photo again. This makes me long for my old Photoshop where I could had hidden the blue with a couple of clicks.

I could no longer remember if I had photographed monkey boy with his Santa shirt, but here he is again. I have jeered at doll makers who focus their attention on the part of the picture with their own addition (like the Santa iron-on) instead of moving in on the face of the doll and here I did it too. As soon as I stopped photographing the sun went away to let the fog roll right up to the window.