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.
I love a good treasure hunt and I’ve gotten Willy hot on the trot as well. With my best treasure finding friend in Utah, it’s nice to have Willy as a partner. We went to nearly all of the thrift stores and consignment shops while in Big Bear and snooped our way around grandma’s cabin and here’s what we found:
I’ve been looking for the perfect globe for Hooper’s new room. I found this one for half off at a thrift store. Score!
A book about Elephants, for Hooper.
A letter “H” bookend for none other than Hooper. Are you noticing a theme here?
A set of vintage sheets. I have visions of making this into a crib sheet, but if the baby’s a boy, then I figure the pillow cases are great anyway and I suppose I can use the sheet to make something else.
Vintage yellow lucite grapes. Classic.
These are just some of the fabulous records I found. A dollar a piece, you can’t beat it.
These little lion pillows were a cabin find. I placed several calls to my grandma for her permission to take these treasures home with me. They have been in the cabin as long as I can remember and I think they will look great on Hooper’s big boy bed. He was fond of them as well. So happy to have these.
This little book of things around the house. I’m smitten over these images and I love fabric books, I really do. Hooper can’t eat them and their washable. Seriously, why aren’t all chrildren’s books made of fabric?
Aw yes, something for mama. I love this vintage gold watch. I need to get a new battery and have some links removed, otherwise it’s golden.
Mushroom treasures for the kitchen.
This adorable honey jar. Right now it’s in the kitchen, but I thought it’d also look cute in the one of the kid’s room. Maybe as a bank or goody jar. Something about actually putting honey in it seems like a disaster to me. But it was too cute to pass up.
Vintage Mikasa plates to add to our growing ecclectic plate collection. Seriously, we need to stop. We have no more room for plates, no matter how cool they are.
Not pictured is a b-e-a-u-tiful mid century dresser we found and negotiated down for a very reasonable price. It’s sitting in the garage, awaiting it’s placement in Hooper’s new room. I’ll share pictures when that room is complete but until then, trust me that it was the best steal of this trip.
Sarah frolicked on the new sofa and quickly made it her home // I {heart} Bob Dylan // Papa was set to work from home on a day I was cancelled from work so we had an unexpected day together 🙂 // Hooper took exceptionally long naps this week, I’m talkin’ 4 to 5 hour naps… growth spurt? // He woke up from his slumber happy as pie and gnawing on his crib rail, as usual // We took Sarah to see her beloved doggie friends at the park // Then she passed out // Hooper’s obsession with my iPhone is intense. There’s lots of screaming fits until he gets that thing in hand, more screaming fits if he does not // Tiny feet I could kiss all day long // Motherly love // Breakfast with my parents before our trip to the zoo // Hooper’s really into stacking things and then watching them fall over // Hot Hot Hot damn we’ve had some warm days, gotta love March in California // Bath time camera attack monster.
We had every intention of making it to the zoo the other day, but a little someone opted instead to nap for FIVE hours. Maybe he was dreaming of zebras, and tigers, and crocodiles, but if you ask me he has no idea what he was missing out on. We went the following day instead and if he wasn’t dreaming of wild animals before, he most certainly is now. Let me re-phrase that, because more specifically he probably has goats on his mind. And juice containers in the shape of dinosaurs. Yes, goats and plastic sugar filled dinosaurs. That is what Hooper was into.
I suppose everyone deals with the frustrations of parenting differently. Some turn to discipline while others turn to the bottle. Willy and I turn to humor. When Hooper’s being a “little shit” as we like to call it, we humor ourselves. Most of our frustrations are centered around the dinner table and our frivolous attempts to get Hooper to eat the damn food we so lovingly put on his plate. For a while now, it’s been hard to eat at the same time. As soon as he sees my plate, all he wants to do is touch my food and throw my food on the floor. It’d be one thing if he ate my food, but instead he’ll stop eating his food so he can play with my food. Needless to say, Willy sometimes suggest I eat in the other room. I don’t argue.
And that’s the rough background for this little story. I was eating next to the cozy fire in the other room, Willy was eating with Hooper in the kitchen. Next thing you know Willy says I should come into the kitchen. This is what I find:
So the question becomes, how do you deal with a 15 month old that won’t eat his spaghetti? Your answer may be to let him starve. Another parent may just poor themselves a glass of wine. Willy’s answer was to dump the spaghetti on his head. And my response was to photograph it. What’s that you say? We’re not going to win the parents of the year award? Oh shucks. Willy’s dad dumped spaghetti on his head as a small child and one day when karma swings back Hooper’s way, he can dump spaghetti on his kid’s head. All is fair in love and parenting.
Kick-o-rama ought to be the title of this weeks post. Only this time around, the kicks are low. Real low. Like so low Willy has to put his hand down my pants to feel those little thumps and punches. I read that this is fairly typical for second pregnancies. Something with the muscles dropping. What do you know, more sagging. Ha! I’ve also been battling a cold and have been exceptionally tired this week, having to nap when Hooper naps, which is usually when I clean up, blog, do laundry, edit photos… So ya, I feel a bit behind and I’m surrounded by one messy house. But I’m feeling better. Now if only I could get through the night without that post-nasal drip making me hack up a storm. Willy would enjoy the better rest too.
Psst… today is my last chance to find out the sex of our baby. I have my first appointment with our new backup OB (who I don’t plan on seeing past this point) and have opted to have a 20-ish week ultrasound to confirm that all the parts are there and growing and all that good stuff. I have this terrible inner turmoil brewing. I’m dying to know the sex of our baby, but I also LOVE surprises and there really is no greater surprise… rrriiiggghhhhtttt? Oh temptation is horrible. Today I have a love hate relationship with technology.
We are back from the mountains and had a splendid time indeed. There was lots of nap taking, ice cream and pizza eating, thrift store picking, movie watching, and family memories made. Oh yes, and that fresh air wasn’t too shabby either. Not to mention that on our last morning we stopped for breakfast before making the drive back home and consumed probably the best pancake ever known to man and just as I was biting into that buttermilk goodness, snow started falling. It was like a parting gift with a tag attached that said “come back soon”. And now we can’t wait to return. Here are some snapshots from our extended weekend.
What do you know… these weeks are going by so fast that I’m behind. I meant to prepare my 19 week post before we left for the mountains… but, it just didn’t end up that way. So here we go, two birds one stone.
I had a little handsome fellow join me on my 19 and 20 week shoot. What a cutie. So, what’s new in pregnancy land you ask? Well, they’re creepy. They’re crawly. They ruin the daisy duke look. They’re dun dun dun (dramatic music, please) spider veins. I wish there were a way of writing that so all the letters were a bit squiggly. But whatever, you get the idea. Yup, just another fun thing us pregnant women must endure. First pregnancies almost seem easier because these things are more easily overlooked. But the second time around… it’s like an allergic reaction; it gets worse with each occurrence. It’s not that this pregnancy is so drastically different, but rather my reserves to deal with all these bodily changes is less. With that said, I feel fantastic. This second trimester has been a breeze thus far. Oh ya, and maybe it’s that mountain air I keep coming back to, but my skin is clearing up. Wahoo. Now that’s a reason to smile. With no further adieu, here’s my little helper and I at 20 weeks…
