bathtime

I realized that with all the ups and downs that motherhood brings, I really wanted to focus on some of the small, oft overlooked things that make parenting so very rewarding and spiritually renewing for me. I'm trying to enjoy Lelia's infant-hood and relish this significant and yet short-lived season in both our lives. The past 7 months have gone by in the blink of an eye and I can't help but feel a little saddened by this. So, in an effort to document and claim the small moments that mean so much to me, I've decided to do a few short photo essays that can hopefully capture some of these precious times.

In a past life (or at least it feels that way) I used to be a photographer; black & white my preferred medium. I appreciate the simplicity of black & white photos (which is not to say I don't love color photos, I just seem to see things through a black & white filter). I would very much like to reclaim my art, salvage it from neglect. It's been quite a few years since I've seriously invested any time/effort in a craft I used to find such joy in. And if there was ever a time in my life to jump back in, it's now.

So, in addition to documenting Lelia's childhood, I'm trying to re-train my eye to see the world through a lens again. I'm hoping to do different photo essays from time-to-time: from favorite and heart-warming to the challenging and gut-wrenching. We'll see how disciplined I am! ;)

But for now: Bathtime. Enjoy!

itiswhatitis

The month of February has been a busy one for Clayton Camp! Thus, a lack of blog entries.

Tre has taken several extra shifts, covering for fellow firefighters who have gone to Haiti to provide relief in the wake of the earthquake. Because he wasn't able to go himself, this was our way of providing support and contributing to the effort there. Tre normally works 24 hour shifts but with the acquisition of these other shifts, he's often been working 48 hour shifts and even had a 4 day stretch.

Is this a glimpse into what single parenting would be like?!? Holy smokes!

I continue to work a part-time schedule (3 days one week/ 2 days the next week) but with Tre's shift increase, we've been more like ships-in-the-night than ever before. He comes home in the morning, I give him a quick report of the night/AM feeding/to-do's/important stuff and then I head out to work. By the time I get home in the evening, Tre and I are both tired, hungry and often quite uncommunicative. Add to that a lively little Lelia and even the most simple things often become distorted.

We knew our decision to keep Lelia out of daycare would, at times, be a difficult one. But we really haven't felt the weight of that decision until now. Needless to say, we are quite worn out and in need of some renewal.

But this is life at this stage in the game.

And despite the fatigue, communication breakdowns and sometimes overwhelming feeling that life is passing us by while we hunker down and take care of business...we are so blessed and happy and filled with joy. Lelia is amazing! She makes every moment worth it. She is so vivacious, inquisitive and conscious, it's hard to focus on the challenging things for too long.

Lelia is now 7 months old! She's exploring her world in a very tactile way right now. She "feels" everything...hair, clothes, food, necklaces, earrings, dogs/cats, etc. After getting a feel for something, she usually decides it needs to be tasted and puts it into her mouth. EVERYTHING goes in her mouth. seriously. everything. I think this must be her superpower. She loves to eat her rice and oatmeal cereals. Has mastered sweet potatoes, peas, squash and carrots and has since moved on to pears. She drinks water out of her sippy cup...well, it's a combo of biting/attacking/mauling the spout and taking great big gulps. She's still not crawling (thank goodness) but is definitely on the verge of some sort of mobility. Watch out world! She continues to be generous with her smiles and infectious laughter. She's the sweetest gal!

Here are some Lelia pics from the last month. :)

squash eatin' fool

Our little Lelia is sure enjoying her eating adventures (after an initial protest). In addition to her rice cereal, she tried squash last week...and she LOVED it! She's on to carrots this week and another new (as yet undetermined) veggie next week. Ah, the wonders of pureed food!