Happy Friday!

Happy weekend lovely people! I hope you have a beautiful fun filled weekend ahead of you. I just hit the 6 month mark of pregnancy and am feeling larger than life, you know, we're not talking venti-large, we're talking sumo large. Each phase of pregnancy has new "amazing" moments and new "no one warned me about this" kind of moments. It's an interesting balance. At this stage of development the baby is approximately 12 inches long and is well proportioned. I am loving all of the movement and kicking I feel at this point. At night my hubby will lean in, put his hands on my belly and talk to the baby. The baby reacts with some good swift kicks. It's pretty amazing. And to offset these little magical moments are night time charlie horses, projectile vomiting and a little bout of pregnancy hemorrhoids. All make for some sexy night time moments.  But they are all temporary phases that aren't experienced by everyone, just some examples of "surprises" I've come across. One of the best things about being pregnant is the community of women to lean on. I am so fortunate to work with so many young moms and expectant moms who have given me tips and shared in their experiences which help me get through those "what the $&#* is happening to my body" kind of moments. I wouldn't trade any of it in. It was a long and emotional road trying to get pregnant and I feel incredibly lucky to experience it all, the good and the bad, because there is nothing like it. The feeling that this little being is growing within you is beyond definition. I love the quiet moments when I am walking or sitting at work and can feel the baby change position or give a few kicks to remind me that we're in this together. Time to refill my sparkling ice water! :) Have a great night! 

jetstream

Mexican feather grass

I have this Mexican feather grass planted throughout my garden. I love how it catches the sun.

yesterday's 365 photo

I dyed my hair a new shade of red. I needed a change, and since clothes shopping isn't desirable with a rapidly increasing waistline, I wanted some kind of boost. Of course, when you tackle a new shade of red, there's always the fear of waking up looking like Ronald McDonald! 

overcoming fear

Do you know that expression "feel the fear and do it anyway?" Today I did a family photo shoot for a friend of a friend. I was a nervous wreck. There were eight of them and I wasn't used to posing larger groups of people. Before meeting up, I sat in my car in the parking lot, anxiously wondering if I was going to let them down. I definitely was questioning my abilities. But isn't that typical of fear? Once it settles in, we doubt ourselves and come up with a lot of reasons as to why we shouldn't do what we're about to do. It's way easier to stay in our little safe zone. But if there's one thing my husband and I always say, it's so much better to push yourself and be afraid then to never step up to the plate. It really is the only way to grow. I snapped the photo above while we were waiting for the others to show up. They were such a lovely family, I was so appreciative that they patiently let me move them to five different places around the park. Once the photo shoot was done and I saw that there were enough photos on the camera that I could deliver to them with confidence, I felt my whole demeanour change. Fear gave away to a new burst of energy, a new spring in my step and I felt proud that I had tackled my fear of letting them down. What's the last thing you did that scared you? 

traditions

This afternoon, after yoga class, my hubby created a batch of his delicious crepes. It's a little tradition in our house on Sundays that I absolutely love. Today was another amazing sunny afternoon so we got to dine al fresco which made the brunch even more delicious. Tomorrow I am shooting photos for a friend's friend. I'm a titch nervous, ok extremely nervous, because photography has always just been a hobby of mine and coming up with compositions for a family of eight feels a bit daunting. (I will know that things are out of control if I stack them in a family pyramid, like the beginning to Eight is Enough).  I scoped out the site with my husband today to get some photo ideas. While we were at the park, everywhere we turned there were families having picnics. They were playing soccer, bocce, laughing around barbecues, some were dancing - the park was packed with families from every kind of background. I can't wait to start up family traditions like that when our little baby is born. I love seeing families having so much fun together and setting aside time to simply enjoy with one another. Growing up, I remember amazing picnics in Stanley Park, spending weekends at our cabin at Mt. Baker or camping in the great outdoors. These little family traditions offer so much nostalgia and comfort when I look back at my childhood. Do you try to incorporate traditions into your family? I hope you had a great weekend! 

a postcard from Vancouver

Hi sweet readers. I definitely fell behind with blog posts this week. It's been one of those weeks where time has for photos and writing has been displaced by more important matters. My grandma and father were both in the hospital this week (both home and doing well now). There were also days tossed in where I'd come home from work, have dinner and fall asleep for 1-2 hours before bed due to nausea. So, photo-taking definitely took a backseat this week. Thank you for your patience! The photo above was taken from the seawall facing downtown Vancouver. I love this city but in the summer? Fuggedaboutit.  It is simply beyond spectacular. We had a free afternoon so we had lunch on the patio of Cardero's, overlooking the marina, walked around the seawall and enjoyed a delicious ice cream (ie. pregnancy staple) on our stroll back. At the end of the month I have two weeks off and am looking forward to spending it just exploring the lower mainland. I hate to use the word "stay-cation" because it is such a cheeseball term, but I find it hard to travel away from this beautiful city when it is lit up with sunshine.  Have you ever spent your vacation just being a tourist in your own town? I can't wait. Too often my time spent in Vancouver is simply for work and not enough just enjoying all of it's offerings. I'll be sure to post a lot of photos so you can see all of the lovely offerings this city has. xo