Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Rat Race
Tomorrow I head back to work. And I am scared.
I've been out of "the game" for almost four months now, and the idea of jumping back in makes me nervous to say the least. I'm worried I won't be as fast, as smart, as creative, as efficient as I was before I left. I feel pressure to hit the ground running, to prove to people I still have "it"...that motherhood didn't steal my brain and make me soft.
But motherhood has changed me. It has slowed me down. It has made me soft.
I'm slower now. I haven't been juggling multitudes of projects and scrambling towards deadlines. My competitive drive to achieve has taken a backseat to my desire to be more singularly and wholly focused. I've been forcing myself to stay in the present. Linger in tasks. Savor the moment. There are no prizes for efficiency as a mom, no promotions for getting things done faster, no raises for completed to-do lists...but there are rewards for fully devoting myself to my babe. When I spend time "chatting" with her, or hold her the extra five minutes it takes for her to fall all the way asleep, or bail on other tasks to sit and sing to her instead, she pays me back in smiles, and snores, trust and love. She isn't proud of me for what I got done in a day. She doesn't value my ability to multitask. On the contrary- she'd rather I slow down. Be present. Be still. So I've learned the value in being slow. I've struggled to set aside my type-A tendency to do more! better!! faster!!! and further learn the worth of relationships versus accomplishments.
I'm softer now. I previously put a lot of importance, and had a certain amount of pride in my ability to hide weakness. I pushed through my pregnancy, striving to remain as unchanged as possible. To prove that I was strong, and no changes to my body or my family were going to stand in the way of what I could do. But since Piper's arrival, I've been forced to be more vulnerable, and taught to feel more deeply. I've repeatedly been overcome with emotion, pushed to tears over how hard the days are, how tough the decisions are, how selfish my heart can be. I've been humbled, learning there is a ton (a TON) that I don't know, and can't do on my own. I've had to learn my limits, show my faults, ask for help, and admit my weakness. But with that, I've also gained a capacity to love beyond what I previously knew. I've added a sense of understanding, compassion and empathy towards others that I didn't even fully know I had been lacking.
I am different now. Not worse. But different.
Being in the working world taught me to strive, to compete, to rise above, to coordinate, to take risks, to manage, to push boundaries. I was a do-er.
But staying home with my girl showed me the value of resting, forgiving, communing, partnering, waiting, listening, sharing, and relating. I am a lover.
And as I head back into the corporate world, I know that I will have to find a new way for my new self to fit in the old routine. I'll have to face the fact that I've lost some of my "edge". But through my nerves, and my fears, and my worries, I will find confidence in knowing that in its place I've gained a sense of perspective about who I am, what I'm capable of, and what matters most.
And for that...I am strong.
I've been out of "the game" for almost four months now, and the idea of jumping back in makes me nervous to say the least. I'm worried I won't be as fast, as smart, as creative, as efficient as I was before I left. I feel pressure to hit the ground running, to prove to people I still have "it"...that motherhood didn't steal my brain and make me soft.
But motherhood has changed me. It has slowed me down. It has made me soft.
I'm slower now. I haven't been juggling multitudes of projects and scrambling towards deadlines. My competitive drive to achieve has taken a backseat to my desire to be more singularly and wholly focused. I've been forcing myself to stay in the present. Linger in tasks. Savor the moment. There are no prizes for efficiency as a mom, no promotions for getting things done faster, no raises for completed to-do lists...but there are rewards for fully devoting myself to my babe. When I spend time "chatting" with her, or hold her the extra five minutes it takes for her to fall all the way asleep, or bail on other tasks to sit and sing to her instead, she pays me back in smiles, and snores, trust and love. She isn't proud of me for what I got done in a day. She doesn't value my ability to multitask. On the contrary- she'd rather I slow down. Be present. Be still. So I've learned the value in being slow. I've struggled to set aside my type-A tendency to do more! better!! faster!!! and further learn the worth of relationships versus accomplishments.
I'm softer now. I previously put a lot of importance, and had a certain amount of pride in my ability to hide weakness. I pushed through my pregnancy, striving to remain as unchanged as possible. To prove that I was strong, and no changes to my body or my family were going to stand in the way of what I could do. But since Piper's arrival, I've been forced to be more vulnerable, and taught to feel more deeply. I've repeatedly been overcome with emotion, pushed to tears over how hard the days are, how tough the decisions are, how selfish my heart can be. I've been humbled, learning there is a ton (a TON) that I don't know, and can't do on my own. I've had to learn my limits, show my faults, ask for help, and admit my weakness. But with that, I've also gained a capacity to love beyond what I previously knew. I've added a sense of understanding, compassion and empathy towards others that I didn't even fully know I had been lacking.
I am different now. Not worse. But different.
Being in the working world taught me to strive, to compete, to rise above, to coordinate, to take risks, to manage, to push boundaries. I was a do-er.
But staying home with my girl showed me the value of resting, forgiving, communing, partnering, waiting, listening, sharing, and relating. I am a lover.
And as I head back into the corporate world, I know that I will have to find a new way for my new self to fit in the old routine. I'll have to face the fact that I've lost some of my "edge". But through my nerves, and my fears, and my worries, I will find confidence in knowing that in its place I've gained a sense of perspective about who I am, what I'm capable of, and what matters most.
And for that...I am strong.
"They were fully invested in the rat race, fighting desperately for the best spot in the cage- say, the one by the water spigot. John himself had fought with all his strength for such a spot. Now, events seems to have ejected him from the cage, and instead of a bleak wasteland, he found himself in a world rich with possibility. To trade that for even the best shot at the spigot seemed absurdly undesirable."
- Martha Beck, Expecting Adam
- Martha Beck, Expecting Adam
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Schoolhouse Lessons
When I walked through the doors of School House Yoga for my first Mommy-and-Me class, I knew almost nothing about yoga, and even less about being a mommy. What I did know is that I needed to get out of the house, needed to heal my ravaged, weak body, and needed something to look forward to as I found my footing in the sometimes bleak world of raising a newborn. I started the class feeling out of place, and scared. Worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up. Nervous that my five week old daughter would cry the entire time. Fearful that this would be one more thing that would leave me feeling like an overwhelmed novice, in a sea of confident, together, mommies.
But I was welcomed. The pace was manageable. My daughter slept.
One hour in a steamy, dark studio had given me hope that maybe we could figure this thing out. Maybe being a mom wouldn't always be terrifying. Maybe things would just go right once in a while. I signed up for four more classes on the spot. And as Jen, the instructor asked for the information she needed- name, address, email- she gave me something I desperately needed. Reassurance. Comfort. Encouragement. She told me my daughter was beautiful, asked me her age, and blessed me with the simplest, most perfect words for me in that moment: "Isn't it so hard?"
Yes. Yes it was so hard. And knowing that someone else thought so, knowing that someone I saw as an expert had struggled too...that gave me hope.
As the weeks went on, Wednesday mornings became the bright spot of my week. No errands, nap, diaper blowouts, or sickness, would keep us from showing up to that calm-through-the-chaos room. We might have been late, we might have had to stop in the middle of class to rock, or eat, and we might have ended at least one practice with a giant spit up. But we made it.
And from that first class on, Jen remembered our names. She greeted us with a permanent, genuine smile. She coached us through movements. She reminded me to breathe. With her guidance, my body was strengthened, and my spirit was lifted.
It was in that class that I found strength I thought I had lost. It was in that class I gained confidence I didn't think could have. It was there that I fell into my role as a mama, and fell even more in love with my daughter. It was there that I got to stand on the other side of experience and be the one to gently and truthfully say to another (even newer) mom, "Isn't it so hard?"
I'm thankful for that class, that place, those mornings, and that Jen. Yoga stretched me, and gave me balance beyond what postures and poses can do. It helped me find the Mommy inside of me, and maintain the Me inside of "mommy".
But I was welcomed. The pace was manageable. My daughter slept.
One hour in a steamy, dark studio had given me hope that maybe we could figure this thing out. Maybe being a mom wouldn't always be terrifying. Maybe things would just go right once in a while. I signed up for four more classes on the spot. And as Jen, the instructor asked for the information she needed- name, address, email- she gave me something I desperately needed. Reassurance. Comfort. Encouragement. She told me my daughter was beautiful, asked me her age, and blessed me with the simplest, most perfect words for me in that moment: "Isn't it so hard?"
Yes. Yes it was so hard. And knowing that someone else thought so, knowing that someone I saw as an expert had struggled too...that gave me hope.
As the weeks went on, Wednesday mornings became the bright spot of my week. No errands, nap, diaper blowouts, or sickness, would keep us from showing up to that calm-through-the-chaos room. We might have been late, we might have had to stop in the middle of class to rock, or eat, and we might have ended at least one practice with a giant spit up. But we made it.
And from that first class on, Jen remembered our names. She greeted us with a permanent, genuine smile. She coached us through movements. She reminded me to breathe. With her guidance, my body was strengthened, and my spirit was lifted.
It was in that class that I found strength I thought I had lost. It was in that class I gained confidence I didn't think could have. It was there that I fell into my role as a mama, and fell even more in love with my daughter. It was there that I got to stand on the other side of experience and be the one to gently and truthfully say to another (even newer) mom, "Isn't it so hard?"
I'm thankful for that class, that place, those mornings, and that Jen. Yoga stretched me, and gave me balance beyond what postures and poses can do. It helped me find the Mommy inside of me, and maintain the Me inside of "mommy".
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Day of Love
Valentine's Day cam be a controversial holiday for some. It can be a source of sadness for those without a partner, or can be filled with pressure for couples to for something magically, perfectly, romantic. Cynics dismiss it as a made up Hallmark holiday, but I think regardless of your romantic status, it's a wonderful excuse to show those in your life that you love them. Yes, it can be cheesy, or overrated, but it can also be simple, fun and encouraging.
It's a little late to give you inspiration for this year, but I didn't want to spoil any Valentine's surprises by sharing them here too early. So here's a little glimpse into this year's crafts... If you're interested, file them away for next year...(I won't tell anyone where you got the ideas!)
Paint Chip Valentine's cards
So easy...and free! (Dustin questioned how Home Depot felt about me clearing out their entire range of reds...but I figure I didn't take any more than I typically do when choosing paint for my house. Seriously- you should see my collection of beiges. Nuts.) I used Behr swatches because I liked the size and the range of color on each card. Four colors gave me the perfect amount of space to write my note. Each strip included the simple message of I "heart", + a characteristic about the recipient. You could also use the three color versions and write your To/From on the back. Just cut off the rounded edges (and most of the type) and then cut the remaining rectangle in half lengthwise, giving you two strips per card. Jot down your vday note, and you're done!
Paint Chip Valentine's "Book"
For Dustin I continued the paint chip theme, and made an alphabet book- the ABC's of how we met. You could easily tailor the subject to your recipient, making it as general or specific, as funny or sappy as you want. I was originally going to list reasons I love him, but thought it would be more fun to focus on the very beginning of our courtship...before he was a dad, or even a husband. A little walk down memory lane is always fun, and having letter prompts helped me to recall details I might otherwise have forgotten.
This version uses one paint chip card per letter (Home Depot must really hate this one!) I cut them to the size I wanted (again eliminating the rounded corners and color names) and glued plain paper to the back. On the front I wrote "A is for..." whatever memory I chose, and then filled in the back with the story. The four color cards worked perfectly for this too because then there was an open spot for a hole punch (make sure to leave room for this when you're writing on the back!) Thread a ring through, tie a bow on to make it a little fancy and you're done!
Valentine's Nails
And of course it wouldn't be a holiday without a festive coat of nail polish. Behold the vday gradient:
Hope you had a craftilicious Valentine's Day (if you're into that sort of thing.) And for you project obssessed pinners- remember the true spirit of the day is love...not glue sticks.
It's a little late to give you inspiration for this year, but I didn't want to spoil any Valentine's surprises by sharing them here too early. So here's a little glimpse into this year's crafts... If you're interested, file them away for next year...(I won't tell anyone where you got the ideas!)
Paint Chip Valentine's cards
So easy...and free! (Dustin questioned how Home Depot felt about me clearing out their entire range of reds...but I figure I didn't take any more than I typically do when choosing paint for my house. Seriously- you should see my collection of beiges. Nuts.) I used Behr swatches because I liked the size and the range of color on each card. Four colors gave me the perfect amount of space to write my note. Each strip included the simple message of I "heart", + a characteristic about the recipient. You could also use the three color versions and write your To/From on the back. Just cut off the rounded edges (and most of the type) and then cut the remaining rectangle in half lengthwise, giving you two strips per card. Jot down your vday note, and you're done!
Paint Chip Valentine's "Book"
For Dustin I continued the paint chip theme, and made an alphabet book- the ABC's of how we met. You could easily tailor the subject to your recipient, making it as general or specific, as funny or sappy as you want. I was originally going to list reasons I love him, but thought it would be more fun to focus on the very beginning of our courtship...before he was a dad, or even a husband. A little walk down memory lane is always fun, and having letter prompts helped me to recall details I might otherwise have forgotten.
This version uses one paint chip card per letter (Home Depot must really hate this one!) I cut them to the size I wanted (again eliminating the rounded corners and color names) and glued plain paper to the back. On the front I wrote "A is for..." whatever memory I chose, and then filled in the back with the story. The four color cards worked perfectly for this too because then there was an open spot for a hole punch (make sure to leave room for this when you're writing on the back!) Thread a ring through, tie a bow on to make it a little fancy and you're done!
Valentine's Nails
And of course it wouldn't be a holiday without a festive coat of nail polish. Behold the vday gradient:
(it took a lot of restraint to resist glitter...)
Hope you had a craftilicious Valentine's Day (if you're into that sort of thing.) And for you project obssessed pinners- remember the true spirit of the day is love...not glue sticks.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Crock-pot Chow-dah
As you know, I have a new obsession with my crockpot. I don't know what took me so long to get in the slow-cooker game, but I'm making up for lost time, trying to put it to use at least once a week. Fortunately, I not only received a new crockpot as a birthday gift, but I also got an issue of "skinny slow cooker" magazine. I've made two things so far...The first was a chicken dish that was just okay, so I'll spare you that one (at least it was easy! Can't complain too much about failed crockpot recipes when they require so little effort). But my second attempt was awesome, so I have to share.
I come from the "if I'm going to make it in the crockpot, it better require close to zero effort, otherwise I might as well actually cook, and we all know that's not likely" school of crockpot cooking, so I have to admit, the fact that this recipe required not only chopping ingredients, but browning the chicken-in a separate pan-shows I was committed to this one. Yes, I love a "throw raw meat and three cans of condensed soup in a pot, irrationally expect it to taste much better than the sum of its parts, but always end up slightly disappointed" type recipe, but I thought the extra effort (and actual fresh ingredients) might pay off. Fortunately, it did.
Ingredients
1. Cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until lightly brown.
3. Combine the chicken, soybeans, sweet pepper, onion, chiles, cumin, salt, and black pepper in slow cooker. Pour chicken broth over all. Stir to combine.
4. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.
5. Chop the zucchini- lengthwise, and then in thin slices. (You'll be tempted to use the mandolin because it's faster, but don't. You'll just end up slicing your finger. Even if you're being super careful, and going slow. You'll definitely slice your finger. And you'll end up with blood everywhere, a half completed recipe, and a crying baby who woke up from her nap early and doesn't want to wait while you struggle to get a band-aid to stick to the tip of your finger. Trust me.)
6. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Add sour cream, flour, zucchini into chicken mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more or until mixture is thickened and zucchini is crisp-tender.
7. Ladle into bowls; top with cheese and cilantro, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
(I served mine with Jiffy Mix cornbread muffins, which turned out to be the perfect compliment.)
I don't want to brag...(and really shouldn't, because it required barely any talent...though I did give up some blood for the cause) but this stuff was guh-uh-ood. Dustin loved it, I got to make a big scene about what a good (temporary) stay-at-home mom I am, and since he doesn't know it was so simple, it was easy to guilt him into doing the dishes. That, my friends, is a good recipe.
I come from the "if I'm going to make it in the crockpot, it better require close to zero effort, otherwise I might as well actually cook, and we all know that's not likely" school of crockpot cooking, so I have to admit, the fact that this recipe required not only chopping ingredients, but browning the chicken-in a separate pan-shows I was committed to this one. Yes, I love a "throw raw meat and three cans of condensed soup in a pot, irrationally expect it to taste much better than the sum of its parts, but always end up slightly disappointed" type recipe, but I thought the extra effort (and actual fresh ingredients) might pay off. Fortunately, it did.
Chicken Edamame Chowder
(recipe adapted from the original, here.)
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used about 4 frozen breasts, thawing them in the microwave first).
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- (1) 10 ounce package frozen soybeans (edamame)
- 1 large green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 can green chiles (I subbed this for jalapenos)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin (it also calls for 2 tsps coriander...but I didn't have that, and I refuse to spend a ton of money on spices I'll probably never use again
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- (2) 16 ounce cartons chicken broth (It calls for cans, but I used what I had)
- (1) 8 ounce carton dairy sour cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (I think mine were on the large side, so I ended up only using one and a half)
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Fresh cilantro-optional (I didn't have this either, so I just sprinkled some dried cilantro on top)
1. Cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until lightly brown.
3. Combine the chicken, soybeans, sweet pepper, onion, chiles, cumin, salt, and black pepper in slow cooker. Pour chicken broth over all. Stir to combine.
4. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.
5. Chop the zucchini- lengthwise, and then in thin slices. (You'll be tempted to use the mandolin because it's faster, but don't. You'll just end up slicing your finger. Even if you're being super careful, and going slow. You'll definitely slice your finger. And you'll end up with blood everywhere, a half completed recipe, and a crying baby who woke up from her nap early and doesn't want to wait while you struggle to get a band-aid to stick to the tip of your finger. Trust me.)
6. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Add sour cream, flour, zucchini into chicken mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more or until mixture is thickened and zucchini is crisp-tender.
7. Ladle into bowls; top with cheese and cilantro, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.(I served mine with Jiffy Mix cornbread muffins, which turned out to be the perfect compliment.)
I don't want to brag...(and really shouldn't, because it required barely any talent...though I did give up some blood for the cause) but this stuff was guh-uh-ood. Dustin loved it, I got to make a big scene about what a good (temporary) stay-at-home mom I am, and since he doesn't know it was so simple, it was easy to guilt him into doing the dishes. That, my friends, is a good recipe.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Piper's "1st Birthday"
Almost two years ago, our friends the VanHoudnos introduced us to the idea of the "9 months + 3 months" First Birthday celebration. When their son turned three months old, they commemorated the first official year of his existence (even though he spent 9 months of that time cloaked in mystery...it still counts!) by going out with some friends to celebrate. We had a great time eating Asian food, and sampling bubble tea (I guess the "1 year" birthday is a Chinese concept) and toasting this new little life that was starting to take shape.
I (of course) loved the idea of marking an unexpected milestone, so we decided to embrace the tradition. We thought there would be no better way to commemorate a year of Baby Bowden than by breaking bread (or more accurately: eating pancakes) with some of the people that have been instrumental in Piper's life so far.
So after church this Sunday, a small group of us gathered at Pamela's Diner in Oakland for some syrupy sweet, good times.
The Bday girl was in good spirits, content to sit and pose for pics while the rest of us debated how many pancakes would be appropriate to eat in public.
She even got to play with her friends Mike and Lindsey...
...which went well until Mike called attention to his mustache...
Apparently she's not into facial hair (take a note, Dustin!) Look at her lip! But the crying was mercifully short lived- nothing a little cuddle from Daddy couldn't cure.
There were a couple other little ones in attendance too...and they seemed to approve of the party as well (they got to eat, and carry on like hooligans...what's not to like about that?)
And when they weren't eating, they too took the opportunity to ham it up for the camera:
Before long the little guest of honor was plum tuckered out and spent the rest of the afternoon sacked out in her carseat (it's her party and she'll sleep if she wants to).
But that little lull in the action gave us a chance to give a little toast to tell everyone how thankful we were to have them join us not just for breakfast...but for life.
As parents, we are limited in what we can pass on to Piper. She's been dealt her genetic lot, and beyond that, we have a finite set of skills and knowledge base to share with her. We pray for God to grow us in His wisdom, and for His grace to cover our areas of weakness. Thankfully He's provided us with a group of friends and family to bridge the inevitable gaps in our abilities, and faults in our character, and help us to guide Piper along the path of His divine plan.
If it takes a village to raise a child, then you all have been our cul-de-sac. We are so grateful we are for who God has made you and how you are already helping us shape our daughter into who He would have her become.
Perhaps the greatest skill God has provided me with is the ability to seek out friends better than myself to help us as we muddle our way through the journey of parenthood.
You are each a profound example of the body of Christ, and the church in action. Thank you for all the support, love, guidance and fun through Piper's "first year." She is- and we are- truly blessed.
And for those of you who weren't able to join us for lunch, please know that we are beyond grateful for the extended community of friends and family that have been with us on this journey so far. Thank you for loving our little girl (almost) as much as we do.
I (of course) loved the idea of marking an unexpected milestone, so we decided to embrace the tradition. We thought there would be no better way to commemorate a year of Baby Bowden than by breaking bread (or more accurately: eating pancakes) with some of the people that have been instrumental in Piper's life so far.
So after church this Sunday, a small group of us gathered at Pamela's Diner in Oakland for some syrupy sweet, good times.
The Bday girl was in good spirits, content to sit and pose for pics while the rest of us debated how many pancakes would be appropriate to eat in public.
She even got to play with her friends Mike and Lindsey...
...which went well until Mike called attention to his mustache...
Apparently she's not into facial hair (take a note, Dustin!) Look at her lip! But the crying was mercifully short lived- nothing a little cuddle from Daddy couldn't cure.
There were a couple other little ones in attendance too...and they seemed to approve of the party as well (they got to eat, and carry on like hooligans...what's not to like about that?)
And when they weren't eating, they too took the opportunity to ham it up for the camera:
Before long the little guest of honor was plum tuckered out and spent the rest of the afternoon sacked out in her carseat (it's her party and she'll sleep if she wants to).
But that little lull in the action gave us a chance to give a little toast to tell everyone how thankful we were to have them join us not just for breakfast...but for life.
As parents, we are limited in what we can pass on to Piper. She's been dealt her genetic lot, and beyond that, we have a finite set of skills and knowledge base to share with her. We pray for God to grow us in His wisdom, and for His grace to cover our areas of weakness. Thankfully He's provided us with a group of friends and family to bridge the inevitable gaps in our abilities, and faults in our character, and help us to guide Piper along the path of His divine plan.
If it takes a village to raise a child, then you all have been our cul-de-sac. We are so grateful we are for who God has made you and how you are already helping us shape our daughter into who He would have her become. 
Perhaps the greatest skill God has provided me with is the ability to seek out friends better than myself to help us as we muddle our way through the journey of parenthood.
You are each a profound example of the body of Christ, and the church in action. Thank you for all the support, love, guidance and fun through Piper's "first year." She is- and we are- truly blessed.
And for those of you who weren't able to join us for lunch, please know that we are beyond grateful for the extended community of friends and family that have been with us on this journey so far. Thank you for loving our little girl (almost) as much as we do.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Calendar Girl
Despite yesterday's post, today is actually Piper's real three month birthday (at 8:29pm exactly!). I have a ton of sappy, sentimental thoughts about reaching this milestone, which I hope to share soon...But for now, I thought I'd let you all in on a little project I've been tinkering around with- Monthly Photos! (this idea shocks no one, I'm sure. A chance to build another "photobooth" type set, take more pictures, and show off my precious little Piper? Win, win, win.)
Dang, I love this kid.
I knew I wanted to document Piper's growth over time, and thought once-a-month photos would be doable, without stressing me out too much. (I took weekly photos of my belly throughout my pregnancy, and though I love having those pics, it was often a pain to make time to shoot that often). I had seen a few ideas online, so I cobbled together what I liked from those and then tried to make it my own. My goals:
- Shoot full length, to show how her little body is beefing up.
- Maintain a consistant backdrop to show scale and keep the focus on 'lil P.
- Include text, to label the month and record little memory "snippets".
- Incorporate a chalkboard- a feature element in her nursery, and a bit of a theme from my pregnancy.
Thankfully Piper is (usually) a cooperative model, and she was patient with me as I fooled around. I tend to be pretty picky about this stuff, so I'm not 100% thrilled with the lighting (hard to keep that consistent from month to month) and I might play around with the text/fonts before printing them all (that part is all added in a photoshop layer). But those are things that can all be fixed (or forgiven), so overall I'm happy with what we've come up with. I don't exactly look forward to Piper growing up (my baaaaaaaby!), but I am excited to document how she changes over time.
So here's our ode-in-progress to sweet Piper Jane, month by month.
(click on each photo to enlarge)
Dang, I love this kid. Friday, February 3, 2012
Face time
Guess who's three months old!
If you haven't already checked out her 1 month and 2 month mug shots, take a look. It will blow your mind how much she's changed already. Her hair keeps getting lighter, and she seems to be lengthening out a little (...someday she might even have a neck!) I thought it was hard for her to get cuter, but she just keeps surprising us. Now please excuse me while I go smother her little face in kisses...
(oh, and technically her 3 month "birthday" is tomorrow- 2/4, but she was born on a Friday, so the math gets a little fuzzy. But don't worry...I have more milestone photos in the works for this weekend!)
If you haven't already checked out her 1 month and 2 month mug shots, take a look. It will blow your mind how much she's changed already. Her hair keeps getting lighter, and she seems to be lengthening out a little (...someday she might even have a neck!) I thought it was hard for her to get cuter, but she just keeps surprising us. Now please excuse me while I go smother her little face in kisses...(oh, and technically her 3 month "birthday" is tomorrow- 2/4, but she was born on a Friday, so the math gets a little fuzzy. But don't worry...I have more milestone photos in the works for this weekend!)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Say Cheese!
If you saw the photos from our prom party, you'll may feel like it was missing something...
Sure, we had the music, and the dancing, the punch, and the decorations...But there was one prom staple that wasn't represented: The official prom portraits.
Everyone remembers the quintessential prom photo- A cheesy cheap backdrop (might involve some "greek" columns, or a leftover funeral home floral arrangement), a forced 45 degree angle to the camera pose, the guy standing behind the girl with his arms wrapped around her waist, cheesy awkward smiles. Priceless memories.
Now I looooooove a photobooth for almost any occasion, and they're becoming a bit of a staple at any gathering I coordinate (yes...I've been holding out on you- there are a least two other photobooth parties that I haven't shared yet. Someday!) so I knew that we couldn't let this opportunity pass. It's too perfect!
So finding a spot for the photobooth became my non-negotiable for the party. It was a little tricky- our house isn't exactly brimming with extra space (especially once we host out of town guests, create a dancefloor, set aside room for a bar etc. etc.) but I was nothing if not determined. Thus, the famed (ha!) third bedroom became our official photo spot.
We tacked up some tacky stuff...
Did a quick lighting test...(if you look closely, you'll realize it was also an earring test...)
Added some balloons...
and it was ready for action...
One of my friends Holly told me it looked exactly like her backdrop from her real prom. Best birthday present ever. My party mission was accomplished.
Normally when I do a photobooth, I either take the pics myself, or people have to use the timer. But for Christmas this year I got a new gadget- a remote shutter release. That way we could just put the camera on a tripod and people could snap snap snap to their hearts content.
And OH did we snap some pics. In the span of a few hours, we somehow managed to take 277 photos. Two hundred and seventy-seven photos. There were a couple people in the bunch that were more trigger happy than others, but when Dustin and I finally got our chance to play around with it at the end of the night, I found out how easy it was to get a little overzealous. In the span of 2 minutes, we took some 39 pics. It was just too easy! And too fun! When I finally got to go through the photos the next day, I was dying laughing. There are just too many good ones! (I dare you to pick a fav...) It's tempting me to leave it up, and require people to take some shots every time they come over!
So without further ado... I present to you:
Sure, we had the music, and the dancing, the punch, and the decorations...But there was one prom staple that wasn't represented: The official prom portraits.
Everyone remembers the quintessential prom photo- A cheesy cheap backdrop (might involve some "greek" columns, or a leftover funeral home floral arrangement), a forced 45 degree angle to the camera pose, the guy standing behind the girl with his arms wrapped around her waist, cheesy awkward smiles. Priceless memories.
Now I looooooove a photobooth for almost any occasion, and they're becoming a bit of a staple at any gathering I coordinate (yes...I've been holding out on you- there are a least two other photobooth parties that I haven't shared yet. Someday!) so I knew that we couldn't let this opportunity pass. It's too perfect!
So finding a spot for the photobooth became my non-negotiable for the party. It was a little tricky- our house isn't exactly brimming with extra space (especially once we host out of town guests, create a dancefloor, set aside room for a bar etc. etc.) but I was nothing if not determined. Thus, the famed (ha!) third bedroom became our official photo spot.
We tacked up some tacky stuff...
Did a quick lighting test...(if you look closely, you'll realize it was also an earring test...)
Added some balloons...
and it was ready for action...
One of my friends Holly told me it looked exactly like her backdrop from her real prom. Best birthday present ever. My party mission was accomplished.Normally when I do a photobooth, I either take the pics myself, or people have to use the timer. But for Christmas this year I got a new gadget- a remote shutter release. That way we could just put the camera on a tripod and people could snap snap snap to their hearts content.
And OH did we snap some pics. In the span of a few hours, we somehow managed to take 277 photos. Two hundred and seventy-seven photos. There were a couple people in the bunch that were more trigger happy than others, but when Dustin and I finally got our chance to play around with it at the end of the night, I found out how easy it was to get a little overzealous. In the span of 2 minutes, we took some 39 pics. It was just too easy! And too fun! When I finally got to go through the photos the next day, I was dying laughing. There are just too many good ones! (I dare you to pick a fav...) It's tempting me to leave it up, and require people to take some shots every time they come over!
So without further ado... I present to you:
Courtney's Birthday Prom Photobooth 2012
(click on each photo to enlarge, and see the awesomeness in its full size glory)
(click on each photo to enlarge, and see the awesomeness in its full size glory)
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