Tag: family

Bits + Pieces

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Bits + Pieces, Hooper
Willy’s parents were in town from Arizona over the weekend and although it was a short visit, it was nice to spend some time together. Willy’s brother and his wife also joined us and the house was filled with love and laughter and all the beautiful things that only family can bring. I snapped just a few photos. I can’t believe I didn’t capture any of Hooper and his auntie Maegan. Hooper was in love. So flirty, so gregarious. His face lit up anytime Maegan was in sight. It was special to watch. Here’s a few of the bits and pieces from their visit.

Arizona, Part Three

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Hooper, Pregnancy, Travel
The first time I went with Willy to Arizona, we had been dating for a few months and all I could concentrate on was the awful smell of cow shit. I wondered how I was going to fall asleep surrounded by what smelled like a giant porta potty.
When we arrived at my in-laws this time around, Willy took a big whiff in, looked to me and asked, “Don’t you just love that smell?”. I felt my nose curl up in disgust until I smelled something lingering beneath that porta potty stench. It’s nostalgia. Which is probably why Willy craves it under his nostrils. It’s not the smell of the cows excrement, it’s the smell of home. Of farm life, of blooming flowers, of hay, of trackers combing the fields, and the endless Arizona sun shining through the glass bringing the warmth that only a familiar home can bring.
Time spent with family is so much richer as a mother. The happiness it brings me to watch Hooper interact with those we love and who had a hand in raising us is simply not tangible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arizona, Part One

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Hooper, Travel
We spent this past weekend in Arizona, visiting Willy’s family. It was a beautiful weekend with warm weather, great company, and even some Goodwill and consignment shop hunting. What more could a girl ask for? Oh ya, the flight wasn’t full going or coming so Hooper was able to have his own seat. Score! He also fell asleep for most of the flight home. Double score! I have loads of pics, but here’s what I captured with my iPhone.

Then & Now, A Vintage Teddy

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Hooper, Then & Now
For Christmas, I unwrapped the most special gift. I’ve been eyeing this teddy bear since I was pregnant with Hooper. It was my moms as a baby and she’s held on to it all these years. Thus, she was reluctant to hand it over. It took a special holiday for this beauty to land in my lap and I’m oh so glad it has. It will either go in Hooper’s new room or in the new nursery. I haven’t decided yet. Thanks mom, I’ll treat er’ good.

New Years Resolutions

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Holiday
…In no particular order.
1. Start a stretch/workout routine. And by routine I mean stretching and working out routinely. Not a today I have the energy but tomorrow I won’t kinda thing… I mean a real dedicated I don’t feel like it but I’m do it anyway kinda routine. When I was pregnant with Hooper I started a prenatal yoga class at 9 weeks and went all the way through to 38 weeks or so, until I was just humiliated that I hadn’t given birth yet and had no ounce of desire to show up with a still pregnant belly week after week. Now I have Hooper and no way of making it to a class with this little rascal running around. So yes, perhaps a stretching and working out routine during nap time.

2. Eat healthier. Are these already sounding like cliche resolutions? I mean doesn’t 24 hour fitness make like 80% of their years profit in January. Okay, I’m making things up, but yes, I am fully aware that these first two resolutions are probably 90% of the general populations goals. With the absence of nausea and the days of food aversions behind me, I really have no excuse to hold on to. In fact, I have the best excuse to fully commit myself: I’m growing a human. What better reason than that to trade in french fries for some whole wheat something or other?

3. Buy a new home. A bigger one. With room to grow. To raise kids and live happily ever after. We’re constantly working toward and saving for and figuring out some way to make this a reality. I hope this year it comes to fruition. There’s actually one home in particular we’ve been eyeing… But it relies on many things falling in place.

4. Visualize a healthy home birth and seek support from positive, educated, and encouraging individuals.

5. Keep the house cleaner. I swear I try. I swear I clean constantly. I also swear because this place is always messy. I should also resolve to swear less. Hooper is quite the mimic these days.

6. Continue blogging. I love documentation in all forms. I have a couple old journals and thousands of photographs that tell a broken story and I have a detailed baby book documenting Hooper’s first year. I want something that continues the story without collecting dust in a cluttered closet.

7. Take more small trips. This kinda contradicts #3, right? I’ve thrown out propositions for impromptu trips to Nicaragua or another vacation to Hawaii. Then we think of resolution #3. And I put my backpack back in the closet. But that’s not to say we can’t take a weekend drive and stop along the way or pull that tent out of the garage. We camped a lot before Hooper was born and have yet to return to the woods for fear it’ll be more work than play. But I think Hooper’s just getting to the age where he will enjoy frolicking about. Better squeeze in as much as we can until July, when our camping days will once again be numbered.

8. Find new recipes for dinners. Mostly because Willy will love the fact that this requires me to try something new. I’m a picky eater, you see. And I hate things mixed. I was that kid that whined when my chicken touched my potato. I try harder each year to resolve this. And I am better. I swear.

9. Do something different with my hair. Dye it? New style? Bangs? Anyone have any ideas? I’m bored to all hell with these strands hanging from my head.

10. I saved my most cliche resolution for last. To love and live as much as possible because in the whole scheme of things, life is pretty short. I had the privilege of caring for a patient yesterday that reminded me of this.

What are some of your resolutions?
source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4, source 5, source 6, source 7, source 8, source 9, source 10, source 11, source 12, source 13

Then & Now, Survival Time

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Then & Now
Friends of ours are new parents. Emmerson is a few days old and we met her the other day. It quickly reminded me of our early days with Hooper.
Oh how Hooper cried. As parents, and new parents at that, we tried our whole grab bag of tricks to figure out why: Is he cold? Is he wet? Did he poo? Is he hungry? Then we tried adding a blanket, changing his diaper that was hardly soiled, or offering more milk even though it seems like he just came off my raw, cracked, and tender nipple. Come on new moms, you know you feel me on this. Anyway, by the time we would reach the bottom of our grab bag, chances are Hooper would be asleep. Not so much because of the interventions we tried, but because he was a newborn, and therefore good at shut eye (intermittently, of course). Sometimes I think all the things we try are really to make us feel better because it just pains us too much as new moms to watch our new little bundle of joy “suffer” in any way. But truth is, babies cry. Who knows why. I imagine that womb is quite the cozy place and I suppose there is some adjustment period warranted.
Oh how Hooper pooped. Actually, as a newborn Hooper had something quite different than what I’ve come to know poop to be. His poop was far from solid, far from dark brown, and smelled like shit that came out instead as throw up out of a homeless mans mouth. I was reminded of this when we turned Emmerson onto her belly for a few more photos and heard an explosion in her diaper. And then I was thankful when I didn’t have to change it.
Remind me again of a dad’s role in caring for a newborn? Is this question harsh? Am I going to get hate mail for what I am insinuating in asking this? In my experience as a breast feeding mom, much of the responsibility fell on me. Don’t get me wrong, Willy wanted to help. And he wanted to bond. It was hard for him not to play as big of a role as he had envisioned and hard for me to take on a role I expected to be much more shared. This is why I’ve come to coin the first month with a newborn as survival time. People can say how magical and loving and special those first few weeks are and in no way would I disagree with them. There is all that too. But it’s hard. I will never lie about that.
Anyway, I snapped a few shots of Emmerson. It wasn’t easy. I had forgotten all about how to position a newborn, not to mention the explosion. In any event, there will be many Emmerson photo shoots in the near future.
One photo had an uncanny resemblance to a picture of Hooper when he too was just a few days old. It brought back memories of our own survival time.

A California Christmas

by Ashley filed under Ashley, Holiday
I woke up early Christmas morning. I suppose there was a smidgen of residual excitement left over from childhood. Anticipation of pulling back the covers, feeling the cool winter air, and stepping out to the family room with bed head intact to admire all the packages awaiting to be opened under the tree. Only this year we don’t have a tree. Not a real one anyway. A tinsel tree. Because we have a one year old that will grab, pull, and potentially eat all those tiny pine needles. And also a dog that’s scared of just about, well, just about everything. There was no cool winter air either, I think it was in the upper 70’s here in sunny SoCal.
Back to waking up early.
It was 7:30am and I peeked over at Willy. I saw him itch his chinny chin chin and thought ah-ha!, he’s awake!… So I gave his shoulder a little tickle. He pulled his pillow over his face and gave me a sarcastic and ever-so-cute buh humbug. I chuckled, laid there for a few more moments, and reflected on just how lucky I am.
This Christmas I am incredibly grateful for this little family we’ve made. A loving husband and an always entertaining little boy. They are my purpose in life. My constant reminders of what’s beautiful and meaningful.
There may not be a real tree, but there is real love in this little home of ours this Christmas morning.
Here’s a few photos from our day, though it should be aforementioned I’m not the best at photographing holidays. I like to enjoy them 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side note: I know you’re wondering about those festive sneakers. Those are my grandma’s and they are nothing short of ffffaaaannnntastic. She’s upset because they “don’t make them anymore”. My Christmas gift to her next year: a recreation. I’ll be stocking up on snazzy jewels and glue. 
How did you spend your Christmas?

Lovely Linda

by Janet filed under Photography

She was  a pioneer among women photojournalists. The first female photographer to have her work featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. Taschen’s 300+ page volume Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs chronicles Linda’s life before she met her husband as well as her life as a wife and mother.  
The publisher’s description sums it up best:
From her early rock ’n’ roll portraits, through the final years of the Beatles, via touring with Wings to raising four children with Paul, Linda captured her whole world on film. Her shots range from spontaneous family pictures to studio sessions with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, as well as artists Willem de Kooning and Gilbert and George. Always unassuming and fresh, her work displays a warmth and feeling for the precise moment that captures the essence of any subject. Whether photographing her children, celebrities, animals, or a fleeting moment of everyday life, she did so without pretension or artifice. These photos are only a few from the selection of shots that will thrill any fan of 60s rock culture… or indeed, any true fan of photography itself. 
See more photos here

Hump Day

by Ashley filed under Uncategorized
I’ve assembled a few photos together to help ya’ll over the hump that is Wednesday. Tell me you’ve visited Awkward Family Photos? Well, here’s a few maternity shots to lighten the load… and a couple others that I just couldn’t resist. And don’t lie, you know you receive a few of these awkward family photos in the mail every year about this time. I have one in particular I am imagining… Too funny.