Even though I should read Dr. Sears Baby Book, I read Wine for Dummies.

Even though I know I should wake up at 6:30 to go to yoga class, I sleep until 8 and run around with my kids, twirling around, skipping, and lifting them up over my head. Just as good of a workout for body and for soul.

Even though I think I should save every penny for camera equipment, I buy shoes.

Even though I know I should be grateful for what I have and hold onto to old pieces of furniture, I sell the old stuff to make room for some new stuff.

And even though I know my moisturizer, foot and hand cream, shampoo and conditioner, and my makeup too contain all sorts of weird chemicals, I use them. I want nice skin, smooth hands and feet, a clean mane (roar), and lipstick. I just do.

Even though I think I ought to encourage my daughter to play with her wooden, natural, educational toys, I laugh when she and her brother play with their colorful, plastic McDonalds’ set.

Even though I know gasoline and oil are wrecking the Gulf, ruining natural life and wrecking the lives of people who depend on a clean ocean, I fill my tank up and drive. I say to myself, “I want to help but I need to drive. I live in this world.” So I think about making a donation or collecting Toby’s hair to ship to the cleanup crews. Pet hair apparently absorbs oil.

And even though I sat down to check e-mail and only e-mail, I wrote this post.

What do you do when you know or think that you ought to be doing something else?

What I know is, sometimes it feels good to break my little rules, the shoulds, the oughts. It’s somehow liberating.

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With Levi’s first birthday less than a month away, I decided to put together a slideshow of his first year here on planet Earth. For the last week or so, my hubby’s been taking the kids outside for a half hour to an hour so that I could review, organize, re-edit, and pull together my favorite photos from our first twelve months together. What I notice is that the number of photos increases somewhere around Levi’s fourth or fifth month, which I think corresponds with when life with two babes and ppd started to improve for me. The urge to be snap snap snap happy returned (I remember forcing my family to sit in front of the wreathes at Whole Foods and asking a bypasser to photograph us after I’d set up my camera. My hubby endures a lot, :-) ).

Anyway, I wanted to photograph Levi with and without an adorable little boy outfit on (they are hard to come by after all). I wanted to remember his pudgy baby thighs, butt, little belly, arms and legs, and oh of course, his adorable chubby baby cheeks. And now, my little bear has six teeth!

Meanwhile, Annabelle is snapping away with her own camera. She’s more enthusiastic about photographing flowers, our home, and her feet than her baby brother, but I have to say she makes a fine assistant. Most of the photos where Levi is smiling, I owe to her.







And some in a cute outfit that I searched high and low for. What’s up with the abundance of cute girl clothes and the shortage of cute boy clothes? Little boys need cute clothes too!










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S Family Portraits

25 July 2010 Photography

To celebrate Baby H’s one year birthday, I met with the S family for a morning session at their home.  Before the session, I met with Mrs. S to talk about the location of the shoot, clothes for the photos, and different kinds of portraiture . . . since my portfolio is in its early [...]

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P– Family Portraits; thoughts on Group Portraiture

14 July 2010 Photography

On Saturday afternoon, with the rains passing and the sun shining through, I met with the P– family for a portrait session. I’d met “mom” and “dad” P– while they were waiting for baby number one, R, now six years old, to arrive. Over these last years, I watched R grow and grow and welcome [...]

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C’s Maternity Photos

8 July 2010 Photography

I love Love. Last October, when I photographed my first wedding, I remember feeling so so happy, giddy almost. I loved watching the bride get ready, walk down the aisle, and share one of her and her husband’s big moments as a couple with their family and friends. Their happiness was contagious. Or maybe it’s [...]

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My little boy

1 July 2010 Gratitude Thoughts

Levi You are standing at the pantry Throwing your sister’s cups and plates on the floor You cry for me But the second I walk into the room You stop You smile Flashing that almost toothless grin You climb You stand You crawl as fast as a gator Making your mama run up and down [...]

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summertime and the faux hawk

25 June 2010 Kids and Art

I am setting a new blogging goal, and that is, to get on here and blog. At least once a week. Let’s just say that it’s been busy here. Annabelle finished preschool a month ago, I’m now volunteering for two support groups, and today, I officially go on an interview to teach yoga. Also, whenever [...]

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Good Moments

14 June 2010 Gratitude Thoughts

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine told me that she and her family spend a few minutes each night sharing 5 good moments from their days.  She wanted to encourage gratitude and positive thinking at the end of the day.  I thought about  how I and my family could benefit from this [...]

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Mom’s Survival Guide and Giveaway

9 June 2010 Breastfeeding

A few weeks ago, I came home to find Redbook magazine’s Mom’s Survival Guide on my doorstep.   I’d been having “one of those days” as a mom and the Mom’s Survival Guide seemed like it could be the answer to my prayers.  Below are a few of my favorite segments from the book: on [...]

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Uh-oh

8 June 2010 Parenting and Attachment Parenting

“Levi?!?  What’re you doing?” “Uhhh . . . nothin’ . . . What’d you think I was doing?” “Levi?  What are you doing?” “Uh, uh, I’m organizing.  I’m organizing our recycling.” “Organizing the recycling, huh?  How about you back up five steps and organize the bottom shelves of the pantry you just pulled apart?” “Huh?” [...]

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