A photo journal comprised of my thoughts on motherhood and other life happenings, as well as some of professional work as a photographer. Southern California is home.
A friend of mine gave birth to her second baby boy six weeks ago. Her first son is three days younger than Hooper. We met up at the beach the other day and while the boys fed each other blueberries and goldfish, us mom’s discussed the return to the newborn stage. It’s hard for me to imagine enjoying the newborn stage all over again. I watch Hooper now and he’s so entertaining and lively and enjoyable. When I think of newborns, I think of a parasite attached to my tit, long sleepless nights, and constant kink working outing. Do I sound cynical? I sense that I do. Anyway, in talking with Lisa, I realized that there is magic that accompanies giving birth. You see, when you birth a baby you are not merely bringing a human being into the world. You are also birthing a maternal bond, a maternal instinct. It dawned on me that I cannot feel it now because it has not yet taken place. I trust greatly that with Van’s arrival will also come a re-found love for all things fully dependent and cuddly and vulnerable. That’s what I saw in Lisa, anyhow, and it’s a beautiful thing.
So while the boys played peek-a-boo around the trash can and chased birds and exchanged hugs, I thought about what’s just around the corner. And an inner excitement started to reside where there was previously only fear.
Hot diggity damn have we had some warm days here in Southern California. We snuck down to the beach on Saturday and enjoyed lunch followed by a little stroll and some pigeon chasing. Here’s a special beach edition of Mamas & tykes, followed by some pics from our Saturday.
There were summers in high school where it felt like I lived at the beach. I’d drive down nearly everyday in my 1982 Turbo Diesel Mercedes with the moon roof open and Tom Petty blaring through the speakers. We’d bask in the sun, with no care in the world, checkin’ out the boys, eating french fries, and gossiping about this and that. Then there was a lull in my beach combing days when I lived in San Francisco for 5 years and traded the sun for the fog. When I moved back I was in school and my relationship with the sand and sea continued to suffer.
Now I’m a mom and it’s important to me that Hooper get out and about. I’ll do everything in my power to steer him away from the video-playing-couch-potato phenomena that seems to have sucked up much of the youth today. So, I turn back to the sand and sea and it’s like our relationship always was: sweet, peaceful, and warm. I could watch him run those little fingers through the sand all day long.
Friend Kim and baby Emerson joined us. Isn’t this little girl just as sweet as can be? Beautiful mom, beautiful daughter.
