Start of Something: Jackrabbit and Charliehorse

Oh where oh where to begin...

It's been a roller coaster but I'm glad to say that I am on the up side of the ride today as I write this.  I can't say there's been any real dangers or challenges, because I am blessed to be healthy and have a healthy little child growing happily in my belly.  His big brother is talking about "belly" and "Big Brother" all the time and it's so adorable!  I've had opportunities to travel and sing and be with my family.  I'm very fortunate.  Look at these little guys!  I dug up my ultrasound pix of Jackrabbit to see how they compare ~

This is Jackrabbit at about 4 months

Here's his little brother at about 5 months.  hmm, they look related, right?!

Here is a 4D image of Charlie at 20 weeks - not bad, considering how freaky these images can be.

I can't believe we are at 20 weeks already!  Seriously!?!?  Half way there baby!  A quick update on the basics, like when you go to the doctor and they run through the questions.  I am less nauseous, but not nauseous free.  I am still easily tired.  I weigh 103 lbs.  I am eating a lot, but the doctor said I should gain more weight, but I feel pretty weighty!  I always gain weight in my arms - what's the deal with that?!?  My butt has grown a couple sizes, for sure.  And I guess my belly too LOL.

I am moodier than ever and find I lack much patience for nonsense, especially when I have responsibilities, such as preparing for a performance.  I'm finding that I'm planning every detail down to the minute and it's actually very satisfying.  I don't want any room for screw-ups or to fall short of what I expect from myself, even more now that I'm pregnant.  I guess I'm subconsciously trying to prove to myself that this won't hold me back.  And in the center of all these plans, Jackrabbit is my priority.  Making sure he is taken care of is top priority!  

I was having a case of the deep winter blues that hit a low during April.  Just when I was about to lose it, it was time for a trip to Wisconsin for some great events.  PHEW!  I just got back to NY so I have a renewed sense of excitement and stories to tell!  

Highlights

I took another trip with Jackrabbit in tow - This time to Wisconsin for a singing engagement with my brother Matt.  While in wisco, I was so busy I did not have time to think about being pregnant.  I didn't even really feel pregnant! Once again I was reminded of the blessing and joy of being with family.  The weather was beautiful the first couple days we were there, all the ice had melted on the lake and Jackrabbit ran wild and free!!!  

Thankfully, I had my parents and neighbor Barb there to watch Jack while I rehearsed and prepped for the "big" night - "Evening Of Elegance", a benefit concert for Children's Hospital of WI and Make-A-Wish Foundation.  I was anticipating this event a lot leading up to it because it's strange performing with someone while living in different states.  Matt and I only had 3 days to get our music up to par.  It was a wonderfully challenging experience.

But I also had to consider that my belly is constantly bulging bigger and bigger.  I couldn't really decide what to wear until the last minute.  This was a very formal event and as a solo vocalist and even more because I'm pregnant, I felt the pressure to look my best!  So, I remembered this website: LightIntheBox, that I came across while I was wedding dress shopping.  The dresses are gorgeous and inexpensive but they are from China so I didn't trust if they would look like the pictures or if it would get to me in time, so I went with this obscure Russian lady in small-town wisco who totally flaked on me… LONG STORY!  Anyway, I decided I would take the plunge and order a dress from LightIntheBox about month before Evening of Elegance.  I normally wear a size 0, so I ordered a size 4.  Then I waited.  But I got impatient, so I made a trip to this awesome dress shop here in NY and bought a designer floor model, discontinued sequins dress that was like 1/2 off.  The China dress was waiting for me in Wisco when I got there and I tried it on and realized that Jonathan could probably fit this dress, so I was lucky that I had my back-up plan!  The sequins dress fit great (photo below) - actually had some wiggle room!  I went back to NY and got the huge China dress altered for the next singing gig - a wedding the first weekend of May also in Wisco.  For those of you who could care less about dresses, sorry for boring you.  After being in the performance world for this long, I've become a dress-aholic.  I never get rid of them either!

Now the important part of this trip - the actual night of the event - was super awesome!  The music went smooth - we debuted a few of our new songs - and it was very rewarding to contribute to children's charities!  We met with our fabulous new agent, Irene Cualoping, that night, as well.  I'm so happy that someone is recognizing Matt's and our talent, and I am ready for whatever opportunities come to us!  :D

I love this photo.  Matt is smiling!

 I went back to NY for a couple weeks and then headed back to Wisco for more music and happiness!

Last week's trip to Wisconsin and Chicago was by far the highlight of the month.  I was anxious about how I would hold up through flying with Jack, housesitting and watching the 2 dogs at my parents' house while they vacationed in Canada, meanwhile packing in lots of important activities in 3 days.  Well, it went fabulously!  OK, get ready for a photo borage.  Some pictures can tell a million words that I'd rather not sit here and type!  :)

Matt and I with Irene Cualoping of ENERI

at the kick off celebration of Asian Heritage Month in Chicago.

We met some amazing people at this event, including Tatsu Aoki (jazz musician) and Linda Yu (ABC anchor woman).  A great incentive to get my pregnant self out and about, even if I feel like sleeping all day!  LOL

Next, I had the honor as soloist for a good family friends' wedding (as mentioned above), Tom Krukowski and Susan Spakowitz of Milwaukee.  

I sang and played piano with Matt on bongos and my dad on Bass Guitar - a beautifully touching song "A Page is Turned" about having a second chance at love after life's trials.  Then Matt and I played lounge music for a couple hrs.  But the best part of the wedding was Jackrabbit's dance moves!  

They're all so beautiful... which one do I pick!?

Exhausted little man!

Anyway, I've gone on and on and I haven't even touched upon the "lowlights" of this month.  Not to say I didn't have them (the baby blues, nightmares, indigestion, anxiety), but with all the excitement and joy, I feel like it's best to leave them out for now!

Photo journal

It looks like week 19 is the pivotal POP for me!  Oh god, I can't wait for my tummy to double and triple in size!  :D

See you in a few weeks!!!

xoxoxo -

kimbirdlee

Start of Something: A Little Man

Little Mr. Fadner #3 exclaimed, "Please stop calling me a she!"  Oh yeah, did he ever let us know.  This little guy is NOT a girl, despite me being completely positive that he was!  Take a look at the clear message he sent us at 14 1/2 weeks old:

How he already knows how to spell "BOY" is beyond me, but now we know.  We are having a boy.  Another boy!  I am super excited, but I'm still getting over the shock - you know when you think you are so sure of something... I had this very vivid dream of actually giving birth.  Everyone was out of the room, and I delivered this little baby girl all by myself and it was so easy!  And I already knew what I was going to name her: "Miriella" which is a combination of my two grandmothers Miriam and Helen.  Omg, I love that name so much!  How about Miriello.  Interesting...
Jonathan sort of wished and also had a feeling that it was a boy, but I was like "sorry honey, you're wrong."  Oops!!! We have a saying: "Jonathan is always right."  It is used regularly, I have to admit.  As long as "Yes, Honey" is used just as much from him, I'm fine with admitting he's right.  ;)
Other than those preconceived girly notions I had and accepting that sometimes your wrong and your husband is right, I am totally excited to have a household of boys.  It's gonna be awesome.  I know lots of families that have two boys, including Jonathan and my best friend Theresa.

The last few weeks have been so up and down!  Let's focus on the highlights first... Ahh, Florida!!!

Spring Break in Florida was the highlight of this month.  Since I was off location for my weekly photo, I took my WEEK 13 shot at the beautiful Lake Manatee.  I wish a manatee would've stuck his head out in the background - darn.  It was so liberating and blissful having all my skin in the sun!  Of course there was no one there until I took off my top, so I  positioned myself behind a tree and Jonathan snapped the shots quickly.  I also had to go from the opposite profile than normal because the wind was blowing so much, my face would've been engulfed in hair.  LOL.

                                                          HIGHLIGHTS
We left the Monday after my first post, March 17th, to sunny, gorgeous Florida.  I was anticipating this trip so much after not having spent a winter in a wintery state like NY or WI in like over 10 years.  I was definitely longing for the warmth and water.  My parents go there every year for art shows and vacation, so I decided we were meeting them this year.  This mama needed to shed some layers and feel sexy again, instead of feeling like a hibernating bear/whale.  Sunshine + Water = Happiness in my book and swimming with Jackrabbit is the funNEST thing ever...

~ Warning: diversion into Family Vacation Photos.  Please skip down to return to main story: Pregnancy and it's Ups and Downs ~

Swimming!!!

Making art at Naples Art Festival 

Ready for another swim.

This trip was very healing for me.  My parents are great to travel with because that are inexhaustable and obsessed with activites.  We stayed on Anna Maria Island by day and Lake Manatee State Park (camping in an RV with the dogs!) by night.  The last few days were in Naples for an Art Show.  

I highly recommend swimming and being outside while pregnant.  I also highly recommend eating fresh food like fish caught that very day (only if it's not on the high mercury list, of course).  And maybe most important, spend time with people who love you and support you and can get you out and about!  Without this, it's so easy to fall into a funk.  I'll get into funk-land below, but there's more good news.

I went through a bajillion tests for every birth defect under to sun.  At my 14 week dr. visit, when "Miriello" first made himself known, the doctor started to go through the exhaustingly long test results.  This test - Beautiful.  This test - Perfect.  That test - Beautiful.  This other test - Perfect.  I was waited for something scary as the list went on, but thank the lord above it was ALL GOOD!  You can't help but worry, right!?  All those "what ifs".
I complained about the inconvenience about taking 2 hours to get to the testing clinic when she said there will be one more set of tests coming up.  So the doc, Dr. Maria Culotta, offered that I can give blood at the Forest Hills clinic and save myself the trip to Long Island.  Yippeeeee!

The hospital, North Shore Jewish Medical Center, is actually out there, too. I've been imagining having the baby in the car or even a taxi stuck in traffic on the way to the hospital.  Wouldn't that be awesome!  Eek.  But I was reassured by a mom in our Mommy and Me class at the Y who just had her second son last week out there and she said the drive was fine.  She took precautions to leave before things got too intense, which is smart.  

Side thought - I'm thinking of trying my best to not do the epidural this time, because I felt like it slowed things down last time.  But I also had a weird situation because my water lad been leaking over a whole weekend rather than a single water break, so maybe it was just meant to be slow with Jack, if you consider 32 hours slow.  The actual pushing was only like a 1/2 hour.

Let's do photos before I get into the poor poor sufferings of the pregnant lady!  I have 3 photos to share since last posting.  There's definitely a gradual expanding going on.

Welcome to the 2nd Trimester!

LOWLIGHTS
Prior to leaving for Florida, I was feeling the need to not only warm up, but to be around people who I love, like my family.  Being pregnant brings this out like crazy.  I remember feeling like this in California while pregnant with Jack, but here in NY it's even stronger because I really have very limited family and friends out here and the winter is brutal!  It's been tough building any community for myself and Jack while Jonathan is at grad school.  I'm sure lots of new moms can relate to this, especially if you are a new mom who just moved to a new place.  Life is just not like it used to be.  I can't really explore on my own and it's just not convenient to get around here on public transportation with a stroller and a squirmy toddler.  I'm going to bring my car out from Wisconsin next Fall so the three of us (Jack, Baby Boy, and me) aren't stuck in our little box (also known as apartment) all the time. 

Spring has just started to peek out, along with April showers, this week, but I already feel a huge difference in my state of mind.  And people on the street, or in the laundry room, check out line, subway, elevator, don't have quite as much of that chilly disposition that makes me miss California either.  A feeling of isolation has probably been my worst enemy over the last couple months.  With spring here, hopefully the feeling will subside.  And don't get me wrong, I treasure every moment I spend with my little spunky angel Jackrabbit.  I want both of us to be surrounded by good people and good feelings.  And we are a lot of the time and we will be more, so I keep telling myself just get through and don't lose sight of all the amazing things we have going for us!

On a more physical, less phsychological, level, I've experienced really awful Round Ligament Pain this pregnancy.  Only twice, but when it happened, it totally floored me.  Both times it was in bed in the middle of the night.  First time was really early on, and this last time was between 14 & 15 weeks.  Sometimes I get a shooting cramp in my left side when I pick Jack up or get up from lying down.  It's always on my left.  But this seriously painful Round Ligament pain is different.  It lasts for hours!  I can't even move.  It's a little funny, because sometimes Jonathan gets up at night to get Jack to go back to sleep and he falls alseep in his bed and never returns to our room.  So that was happening the night I was in excruciating pain and I was weakly calling out for Jonathan both because I felt weak and also cuz I didn't want to wake up Jack but I did want to wake up Jonathan.  I can't remember what happened exactly, but I ended up keeping Jonathan up all night and he had to take care of Jack in the morning too cuz I still couldn't move.  I called the doctor on call (it's a 100% guarantee that I always have urgent matters happen on Sunday when clinics are closed) who said it was probably what I thought - Round Ligament Pain.  The usual - if you start to bleed or the pain worsend go to the emergency room.  To my great relief, the pain faded away and I was back to normal uncomfortable pregnant lady.  

I also got a nasty cold, which apparently 90% of NYC has.  It's still hanging on, but at the tail end now.  Headaches, stuffy runny nose, sore throat, you know the Nyquil ad... I went in to sing at NYU last Thursday, fighting this cold and gagging through a horrible bout of nausea, but proud that I battled through and sang my heart out - thankfully not my guts.

So lastly, I was tricked into believing that my nausea had swam away with my winter blues in Florida.  I felt great and didn't get sick at all that week.  Then, literally the night we got home to NY, I was back in the bathroom, throwing up.  Yuck yuck yuck.  The nausea returned.  Boo.  I got so sick again just the other night, I had to make sure not to watch what was coming out so I could get out of there alive!  It's SOOO rough!!!  I'm not gonna tell you what I had for dinner that night, but since then I resolved to eat more simple, fresh food.  I have a thing for veggie sushi now.  It's perfect because in out Kosher neighborhood, sushi is like the thing.  I'm also consuming lots of Japanese rice crackers.  Yum, sodium!  And frozen yogurt.  Pregnant taste buds change constantly, so we'll see what's next on the menu...

Stay tuned!

Thank you for letting me share these moments and please feel free to share yours with me.  So much happens, and it's so much better to be able to share and laugh about it, or cry about it, but at least the sharing part!

Lotsa love ~

Start of Something: Months 1-3

A NEW LIFE!

This is my "Start of Something" Pregnancy Journal and it will be pretty personal.  These 9 months and beyond are so uniquely miraculous for each one of us that go through it.  As an artist of many mediums, it only makes sense for me to share the most creative endeavor of my life.  So, please accept my open invitation to my journey over the next months if you'd like and if not, I accept that too!   I can promise that my entries will not be too long or too frequent, since finding the time to do it is the biggest challenge!

1ST TRIMESTER ALREADY!

To start with the present, I am now 12 weeks along.  At 6 weeks, I decided to start a photo journal of my blossoming tummy, same position same day each week.  It would be awesome to make a flip book when we're done!  So far I haven't much to show, but I have gained about 5 pounds already.  I share that now… we'll see if I'm as open about it later in the game!

I naturally tend to focus on the sunny side, but I don't want to pretend that I don't have fears and worries.  9 months is a looong time to go without really knowing what the outcome is going to be.  I pray for a healthy, happy baby and do my best to be healthy and happy myself… I think prenatal clinics can be a but overboard in their testing and rather than comforting parents, it can fill you with fears of, "What if my baby has down syndrome?  What if she has some strange chromosomal disorder that I've never heard of?"  I had to travel to Long Island to do genetic testing last week, which was a 6 hour trip for a little sonogram and blood draw!  Grrrr.  But on the positive side, the LIRR train trip was really pretty and made me want to move out of the boroughs and into that beautiful area!  My worries are much less this second time around too.  I was SO paranoid with Jackrabbit about food, the way I laid at night, lifting things, you name it… now I have to carry my huge lunk of a son to get him to nap in the afternoon and fall asleep at night!  (At least he sleeps, guys!  It's been our biggest challenge!)  

Anyway, all the ultrasounds have been very promising and I feel confident that the little one is flourishing nicely, and whatever happens, I know we are blessed!  The ultrasound pix are so crazy and weird to see...

6 weeks

8 weeks

11 Weeks, 3D and very alien - Whoa!

I think it's a girl, but sure can't tell from the ultrasounds yet!  I had a very vivid dream that I gave birth to a girl and it was soooo easy.  Wishful dreaming.  And of course, if it's a boy, we won't throw him out with the baht water.  All we ask for is a healthy happy baby ...  and a natural v birth.

                                        MYSTERY SOLVED... OMG!  I'M PREGNANT!

I found out that I was pregnant while on a trip visiting family in San Diego in January.  I had a hunch, but my hunch kept coming and going, and by the twentieth negative pregnancy test, I fell for it.  "Ok, I'm not pregnant.  Carry on…"  But the next morning, Tuesday, Jan 14th to be exact, I took one more test just because I was leaving San Diego and had one left so what the hell.  It was positive!  It took 3 more positives to convince me, but sure enough it was true!

Since I have never really been "regular", it was a great mystery to me how far along I was.  Jackrabbit was now 19 months and had just weened from nursing that week, which had been a gradual process from Thanksgiving to mid-Jan.  I hadn't had the return of my cycle until Thanksgiving day (yes, actually the day of, thankfully - haha), and then hadn't had it again… so with the rumor that you can't get prego while nursing, the fact that I'd only had one period in 2+ years, and the rare occasion that J and I would be in close enough proximity for a special hug - I think it's fair to consider this "immaculate conception", right!?!?

Another twist to the miracle of timing, we had moved to NYC and had to apply and reapply for health insurance from September to January - something about Obama Care, you may have heard.  It was a scary limbo to be in, not having health insurance especially for little Jackrabbit for 5 months and thank heavens we were all healthy!  A the universe must have planned, we received insurance on Feb 1st!  I had a torturous wait of 2 weeks, but since I wanted - no, needed - to know how far along I was so desperately, I went to the emergency room at our local hospital.  It took them 5 hours to tell me the results of one simple blood hormone test to tell me that I was about 5 weeks.  The due date is September 22nd, 2014.  Phew!  So glad to have that question answered. 

Now other mysteries were coming clear, like why I loved those chocolate donuts from Peterson's in Escondido so much and why I couldn't stomach the kale salad I always liked from Trader Joe's, or why when I saw photos of myself that week I was like, "Whoa!  I have a tummy!"  Now I know you're not supposed to really show this early, but I was like 90 pounds before Thanksgiving, so with my uterus doubling in size in the first few weeks, there was nowhere for it to hide.  My skinny jeans were already making me feel not so skinny!  

J and I have never been able to keep quiet about nothin'.  When we found out, J spilled the beans immediately to his mom.  Her sixth sense had already informed her anyway.  We agreed to keep quiet until I forget how long, because it didn't happen.  I told my parents, who starting leaking it slowly but surely.  Basically I say, "Don't tell anyone, but if you can't help it, it's ok."  Example, the second person I told was a random lady in line at the airport, because the conversation just led to it.  I couldn't help it!  I told the ladies at the YMCA that week, cuz somehow the conversation just forced it out!  I had to tell my grandpa one day, because he had been hospitalized for fluid collecting in his heart, and I wanted to lift his spirits.  He went home and is feeling well - due to more factors than the happy baby news most assuredly.  

J composed a song called "Start of Something" earlier in the semester from the perspective of a baby in the womb realizing that soon will be the start of something more than what she's ever known.  I sang this song for his NYU-Tisch Musical Theater program (something I have the honor of doing quite frequently) and we recorded it.  J has a gift of expressing through lyrics and music these universal themes that are beautiful and relatable.  I'll have to find a way to share a recording of this song with you...

TRUE FEELINGS

This pregnancy, like withJackrabbit, is no fun - I will not lie.  I am SO nauseous and it is constant 24/7, the worst in the morning and always right when I want to go to bed.  Rather than indulging in guiltless eating, I am constantly trying to pick the right foods that aren't going to make me sick.  So far it's Thai curry and Indian food.  But no one, not even a crazy pregnant person, can eat that rich intense food every day.  So, I hate food but have to eat all the time to keep the nausea at bay.  And I'm always tired.  The one respite I have is Jackrabbit's nap time, when I usually cuddle up with him and get an hour snooze too.  But I have to much on my TO DO list, so I really try to push through.  

Plus, my emotions really do get the best of me often.  I cry at everything.  I was on the subway and this trio of black spiritual singers came along singing so beautifully, I burst into uncontrollable tears!  I cried when I read someone's blog that said by now in your pregnancy, your clothes may feel like a sausage casing around your body.  How sad but true!  I cry at real things too.  The doctor said it's normal but to tell her if I'm crying every day.  Well, I didn't tell her, but I had definitely been crying every day.  LOL.  Ever since I opened up about it, the tears have subsided a bit and for reasons that seem less "real" than before.  So I'm not worrying or crying about it.  :) 

Singing always helps me feel better and singing when you're pregnant is the best!  I'm thrilled to have opportunities for performing both at NYU with Jonathan and fun La Boheme gigs with Matt.  Plus, La Boheme is planning a new album and we have most of the songs already.  I'll include these stories here as they come along.  I've been playing more piano again, which feels great!  Jackrabbit and I sing and dance our way through the day and that's a very very wonderful thing...

I'm so excited about this journey!  I'd love to connect with other moms and babies to be and anyone who like sharing thoughts, stories, songs…  

Countdown to this Holiday Season's Events

Hi All!  It's been a while since I blogged what with the move to NY and really understanding why they say being a mom is a full-time job, I am finally now having a moment to tell you what the holidays have in store!  

As usual, there's a taste of art and a spattering of music along with the joy that goes along with my favorite time of year.

After the feasting and merriment of Thanksgiving, Matt and I will be appearing as La Boheme for a musical evening at 
THE STEAMING CUP 
Saturday, Nov 30th from 7-9pm
340 W Main St, Downtown Waukesha

We will be performing music from our CD "Foolish Heart" which is now on sale on CD Baby and iTunes, as well as some favorite standards and even some brand new songs.  I might even convince Matt to do a couple holiday songs - yes, I love them.

Come visit out new Facebook page and like us a lot!

www.facebook.com/labohemetheband

The following evening ...

After the incredible experience Palmyra-Eagle Community Band shared as the guest musicians for our nation's HONOR FLIGHT for Wisconsin on September 27th, 2013, it'll be wonderful to join them, Ed Pierce and my dad, Bob to make more music.  In preperation, here's a very serious rehearsal video of Jackrabbit and I. 

I will be singing with Palmyra-Eagle Community Band  on their fabulous Holiday concert.  This concert is an annual tradition, held once again at the Palmyra United Methodist Church

122 N 5th St  Palmyra, WI

Sunday, Dec 1st 7pm

FREE!

  Please join us!

The next weekend, I will switch gears and join my mom Charlotte Fung Miller in Chicago for a highly anticipated fine arts festival:

CHICAGO ONE OF A KIND

DEC 5-8

The Merchandise Mart

I've heard it's a jubilee of shopping with tons of original gift options.  Along with our paintings, we are now creating some really cute, elegant, artsy, fun items like glass cutting boards and dragon coasters...

You can always find me on Facebook or at www.kimbirdlee.net.  Feel free to contact me if you want more info or anything!

Lotsa love ~

kimbirdlee

Homeward Bound

"Sunset on a Country Road" by Matt Miller

What started out as a last-minute "hey, wanna sing with us" kinda thing with the East Troy Community Band (conducted by Jay Huenink) and Choir (directed by Rodger Trader) last Sunday turned out to be something pretty darn special!  The groups do a yearly concert at the world famous Alpine Valley here in East Troy that is whipped together in a week of rehearsals.  My dad is a regular in both of these groups, so of course I was down for joining them!  I had the honor to sing the solo in "Homeward Bound" and my dad sang the male part in a duet too.  Yay!  The whole arrangement with full band and chorus is downright stirring to the soul!  My brother, Matt, videotaped it but for whatever reason the picture was blurry so I had the idea to set some of his oil paintings of Wisconsin scenes to the music. When I saw/heard how beautifully they went together, I have to admit I was choked up... ok I actually cried!

Here it is if you'd like to see/hear for yourself:

http://youtu.be/m1FpjFjQ9y4

HOMEWARD BOUND

Words and Music by Marta Keen

arranged by Jay Althouse and Brant Karrick

In the quiet misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,

When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.

Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return,

To your thought I'll soon be list'ning; in the road I'll stop and turn.

Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end,

And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.

Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing, I'll be homeward bound again.

p.s. the baby you hear in the beginning is a cameo by the notorious Jackrabbit!

For another chance to hear this piece being performed along with a whole program of great tunes, come join us in the East Troy Town Square this Thursday, August 1st at 7:30pm!  

for more details:

www.etband.com/

Ice Cream Social Concert in the Park

After moving out of our house in Oakland, stopping over in Wisconsin before a whirlwind house-hunting trip to NYC, then back to California for a couple singing gigs, and finally landing back here to Eagle Springs Lake, WI ...  At last, Jackrabbit and I are enjoying our precious time in Wisconsin while our poor Johnny-boy slaves away at theater camp in Mill Valley, CA.  That brings us up to date!

The 4th of July weekend here on the lake is a wild and exciting time!  It started with the kiddy parade at Eagleville Elementary and an impromptu singing of "God Bless America" by Jackrabbit and I on the 1920's fire engine.

After a slew of BBQs, swimming, rehearsing, and Fireworks, we made it to Sunday, the day of the
ICE CREAM SOCIAL!!!  Ed Pierce graciously invited me to sing again with Palmyra-Eagle Community Band and the Kettle Moraine Blues Band this year and to all our delight, I was able to sing at their largest gathering.  We planned the challenging program over email from Wisco to Cali and selected some of my favorite songs of all time!  The warmth and support I feel from this group and from the audience in Eagle is tremendous, almost over-whelming.  I wish I could bottle it up and take it to NYC.  Maybe I can find a friendly Mr. Ed director out there who wants me to sing to my heart's content with his amazing band and everyone is happy ever after!!!

Here is the poster from the concert:

And now for the live footage from the event!  Click on the links to see the video:

CLICK HERE: Ice Cream Social Concert: Act I

CLICK HERE TOO: Ice Cream Social Concert: Act II

AND CLICK HERE: Finale

My bio:

Kimberly Fadner "Kimbirdlee" is a performing and visual artist who grew up in Hales Corners,WI and lived in Oakland, CA with her husband and 1 yr old son, "Jackrabbit" up until this summer.

"The 40s: A Sentimental Journey" and her ongoing collaboration with PECM marks a special time for Kimbirdlee and her family as they spread their wings and make NYC their home in Fall, 2013.

Kimbirdlee's natural gift as a singer was discovered as a young girl and she was in musicals with local Milwaukee-area theaters at an early age. Her first big roles were Amahl in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and Marta in "Sound of Music" when she was only 7 years old. She was soon dubbed the singer of the family and sang for many special events, often with her father singing and playing along on guitar.  Kimberly majored in Vocal Performance & Dance at Mills College in Oakland, CA and acting at the American Conservatory of Theater-SF. She appeared in West Coast productions including "It's a Grand Night for Singers" at Jarvis Conservatory in Napa, "Forever Broadway" at Herbst Theater, "Working: The Musical" at ACT-SF, Marin Shakespeare Company's "The Tempest", Berkeley Playhouse's "Cinderella:Enchanted", "Narnia", "Born and Raised" & "Seussical The Musical".  She worked with the Berkeley Playhouse, and 142 Throckmorton as an actress, aerialist, director and teacher for several years. Her performance in "Seussical" earned her a Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award nomination in 2012 and a guest performance at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF. Kimberly performs and records with her husband Jonathan Fadner and brother Matt Miller in The Kimbirdlee Fadner Trio & La Boheme.  She is a soloist for various churches, as well. Here's to spreading joy and inspiration through music and the arts.

Some extra video fun - Pre-show at Jack's Place!

Thank you so much for visiting Kimbird-Land today and come back often.  I will do my best to make you smile!!!

:D

CLICK HERE: Ice Cream Social Concert: Act I

CLICK HERE TOO: Ice Cream Social Concert: Act II

AND CLICK HERE: Finale

Adventures in Kimbird-Land!

At last!  I have the chance to give you the latest updates from The Adventures in Kimbird-Land!



Last I checked in, I was heading to the Dragon Fest and Not-so-Silent Auction for Garfield Elementary.  It was quite the event!  Located on the border of Chinatown and North Beach, swarming with children and their families', and full of energetic buzz.

My painting of the "Yin and Yang Dragon" went home with a community member named Kitty Kao - amazing name - who wanted to check out the Fund Raiser because she saw the Dragon poster that I designed hanging up at her local laundromat.  Love it!



I had a good feeling that night, thinking about how my mom grew up in Chinatown and pondering the full-circle we have come.  It was there that she learned Chinese Brush Painting, never knowing where it would eventually lead us!  And trust me, I never knew I'd become a professional artist either.

Jonathan and I also taught music for a kids musical theater workshop held at Shotgun Theater in Berkeley on Saturday, April 20th.  We got to revisit the music of "Seussical the Musical" and see some brilliant little actors do their thing.

The last couple weeks have been swamped with Art Shows, first in Walnut Creek, then Mountain View (both through Pacific Fine Arts).  Those shows were fun in the sun.  Lots of people to talk to and share my passion about Chinese Symbolism, the Zodiac and the Elements.  Somehow dragons seem to be relevant in everything!

Last Saturday was a special little surprise - The Glenview Cottage Industry Exhibition - put on by our local neighborhood association and Judith Garland (another amazing name!).  It happened to be right across the street from our house at the Park Blvd Presbyterian Church.

Jackrabbit doing his bit - holding up the tent with all his mighty strength!

It was delightful being out there in my own neighborhood, meeting people, connecting... Only slightly ironic that we are moving now that things are livening up around Glenview.  I never believe in saying goodbye though, and will always have a home here in Oakland!  It's cool to walk through the neighborhood and catch a glimpse of a dragon hanging on someone's wall!!!  :D

This Saturday is yet another festival - the Asian Heritage Street Celebration outside by the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.  It's from 11am-6pm and full of fantastic performances, the World Market (where I will be) and tasty asian delectables!

Come join me in Kimbird-Land and have an adventure!!!