Almost One

How the past year has flown by! Cash is almost ONE! Here are a number of things about him: he just started crawling at 11 1/2 months, he's pulling himself up to a stand in the crib, he's got three teeth (two on the bottom and one on the top), his only word is still "Mama" and his favorite place to be is wherever Mama is, he loves hanging out with his brothers, throwing toys is one of his most enjoyable pastimes, and being outside is definitely preferred to being inside.

Contax 645; TriX 400; FIND Lab

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

My blogging hasn't been up to my own standards lately. We've been busy, busy here and had lots of company with us since February. And honestly, I've been exhausted due to the fact George simply DOES NOT SLEEP. It has been rough, especially when he started pulling the "I'm gonna get up every hour" trick, followed by "I'm ready to party" at 5 a.m.. Needless to say, I've been walking around in a zombie-like state day after day.
Starting this past Tuesday, we began the sleep-training ordeal. Of course it's been difficult for both of us; but after three nights I see the light at the end of the tunnel...and I woke up feeling fresher than I've felt in the last 7 months.
For now, I'll leave you with this image: L'il G enjoying tubby time in the kitchen sink. Sleep or no sleep, I love this kid to pieces.

Welcome to the World, L'il C!

Little "C" is the newest addition to Jodie and David's clan. I was fortunate enough to meet him this past Tuesday and snap a few photos of the precious little one. This is one of my favorites.

Jamer Time

James' cousins call him "Jamers". He's been having a fantastic time hanging with Zebi and Orion since they arrived with Aunt Shasha Monday night. Tonight he climbed in bed with them and watched them as they played their computer games (photos pending). I can only imagine what technological device will have my son's eyes glued to the screen when he's old enough. For now I simply enjoy witnessing James grow more and more every day into a little person who interacts with others, chooses the books he wants me to read him, is intrigued by the garbage truck, and who is learning that "give kisses" doesn't mean "give headbutts".

I haven't been able to catch James' attention that often when the camera is front of me because, well, I guess he's over it. However, I was able to capture a few moments this past weekend, one of which is a real gem, eye contact and all (the blog really warps the image of its quality but you get the picture).

Contax T3

Not so long ago I got a Contax T3, a small point-and-shoot that takes film. I heard this is a really great camera and figured this might lead me back to including film in my life. These are scans of some of the photos I got back from my first 2 rolls of film, one black and white, one color. The black and white was shot in pretty low light with high ISO, so some of it is pretty grainy, but I must say I love the look of film more and more.


The photo below was taken (obviously) after a lot of rain in Los Angeles. James was super excited to strap on his boots and go exploring. He would all but submerge his face in every puddle he came across and certainly couldn't contain the splashing. His expression below exemplifies what he looked like 75% of our walk. Every time he splashed himself in the face with water, he was both excited and surprised!




Fran and his mom, the real, in person, Gjelina.
Ok, I think my husband looks pretty good here. Agreed?

Fran loves this pose with the kids:

Self-Portrait

For my creative portraiture class we were asked to do self-portraits. First, an "environmental" self-portrait followed up by an outdoor self-portrait portraying the same emotion. I just finished the indoor segment and below is what I came up with. Self-portraits are hard!! In it I am going for the "I'm a pregnant, tired mommy who still strives to be a good mommy to her son" look. Hopefully this comes through....

Holga Fun

I recently got a new camera, called a Holga. It's basically a cheap, cheap plastic toy camera known for its light leaks, distortion, and possible blur. It's also known for its production of some beautiful images. Who better to practice on than by boy James and a furry creature or two? This camera takes film (remember those?) and I must admit there was that long-lost anticipation of "what will I end up with" I used to feel while anxiously waiting on picking up developed film. The results weren't so spectacular but I look forward to more practice sessions with this new toy. If you'd like to learn more about the Holga and its imagery, try this site:

http://www.theholga.com/