it’s friday
July 31st, 2009
my husband is off from work, it’s raining and I’m snuggling in bed with Tyler. Life is good. Bren took Conner to camp and went to the gym. Were going to meet at one of our favorite spots for breakfast afterwards, the cafe at the Mariani Garden Center in Armonk. Until then I’m sitting in bed with my coffee, watching the Kings of Leon on The Today Show (who I love) and appreciating the quiet.
Last night I had dinner with 3 of my best friends from high school. We met in town for margaritas and Mexican food and sat outside while we caught up and laughed the night away. What a nice kick-off to the weekend.
I’ll leave you with a painting I’m dreaming of to go over our bed. The amazing artist is Albert Scharf, available at the Convergence Gallery in Santa Fe. Our bedroom is a combo of purples, pale blues and whites so I think it would work well.
tyler, 6 weeks old
July 29th, 2009
Here’s our little guy, 6 weeks old and full of expressions. He started smiling this week. Those little smiles make the sleep deprivation worth it. Keep em’ comin’!
double knots
July 28th, 2009
Today I tried to double knot my own sneakers. What??? As I caught myself I thought, wow, what’s next? I’m not going to try and answer that question. I love it and would have it no other way but come on. The fog I’m living in is clearly still present. It’s very overcast over here.
A few pictures of the gorgeous Luca and Thano. I mean, what I would give for this little one’s hair. I love their mom and always look forward to chatting with her at our shoots. I feel like we live on the same wave length. Thanks so much Betty!
This one makes me laugh.
when i get skinny
July 27th, 2009
I want to buy a fun and pretty dress from Anthropologie like this one. It’s been awhile since I bought something that wasn’t size large with an elastic waist. Click on the photo for the link.
gates girls, chappaqua
July 24th, 2009
These two gave me a run for my money. They are moving to California and mom wanted some photos of them on this side of the country before they relocate. Too bad the girls didn’t feel the same way. They were full of energy, made me laugh quite a bit but really didn’t want to participate. We managed to get a few shots at the house but I left the shoot feeling unsatisfied. Later that day I went to one of our neighborhood parks with Conner and thought to myself, “Damn, we should have come here.” I emailed mom to see if another go-at-it was a good idea and suggested a quick 30 minutes the next morning at the park. She was down. She didn’t tell the girls they were meeting me at the park. You should have seen their faces when I showed up. Sheer disappointment. Mom and I died laughing. Hilarious. Anyways, we marched on and I’m glad we did. They didn’t seem to mind me chasing them around now that we were at the park and I felt much better about the selection of photos once we were done.
I wish you all the best in Cali. Thank you ladies.
a glimpse
July 23rd, 2009
of our mornings over here. hope everyone has a good day. it’s almost friday!
i plead insanity
July 22nd, 2009
To say that I’m hormonal is an understatement. I finally understand why those woman who murder their children actually plead insanity, think that it’s justified and are often found not guilty. It’s the hormones. I kid. I’m not really going to murder my children but at certain points of the day when I’m angry, crying, lonely, sad and yes, often happy, I think about how I can relate to the mothers who go crazy trying to take care of and raise their children. Either go crazy or become alcoholics. I can sympathize with my mother who was a little of both. She never drank until my brother and I arrived and then after drinking for quite a few years checked herself into AA, about the time I turned 14. Was it coincidental she hopped on the wagon once we were potty trained, sleeping through the night, had all of our teeth and for the most part, were self sufficient?
Being a mother wasn’t always easy for my mom even though her “moments of brilliance” are what I remember most and are what I will pass down to Conner and Tyler. I think this holds true for many moms and it’s ok to admit how hard the job can be. It’s sort of like pregnancy and taking care of a newborn. No one tells or warns you about how difficult it can be. Why doesn’t someone say, “Get ready for a few nervous breakdowns, nights that feel like they will never end and hair raising cries and screams that shave years off your life.” You paint these pictures in your mind of all the blissful moments you are going to share with your new baby and are shocked when those moments are sandwiched between the stress of gas, soothing, breastfeeding, sleepless nights and don’t forget crazy, whacked-out hormones.
Seriously though, I’m looking forward to finding a little balance. I know I was crazy to begin with, even before I had two children but the “hormonal express” isn’t helping things.
simplify
July 20th, 2009
I’ve spent a great deal of today thinking about how to simplify our lives. Not that ours are that out of control but I guess once you have more than one child, keeping things simple becomes a priority. It’s amazing how quickly things can turn into chaos. We often try to do too much resulting in regret, stress and exhaustion. I’m saying no more. I’m focusing on simple dinners, trying not to work too much and sleep.
Speaking of simplifying, my friends Sloane and her sister Blake gave me this awesome Marc Jacobs bag for the arrival of Tyler that will double nicely as a diaper bag. Sloane designs the bags for Marc. Well done, right?
Mine is a rich purple color but I couldn’t find a picture of that one so this will have to do. It comes in a variety of jewel tones.
wine geek
July 19th, 2009
My dad and his wife Nancy are here visiting. We had a great day yesterday eating at the Stone Barns Farm cafe and then headed to the new and very cool wine store in Armonk called Wine Geek. The shop is a restored vintage gas station and the owner was actually the wine director at Stone Barn’s Blue Hill restaurant. They have a great selection so we stocked up and brought home a case. That should get us through the next few days.
Here’s a shot of the store front taken by Nancy’s Iphone.
so i lied
July 15th, 2009
Having two children isn’t as easy as everyone says it is. Maybe that was coming from those who dont work and who have full time help. Neither of those cases fall into my lap. I’m not complaining though. Well ok, those of you who really know me know that I am complaining. Let me try to be positive. I am thankful to have 2 beautiful boys, a part-time nanny and am lucky enough to work for myself. Unfortunately the maternity leave at Bentley Waters Photography is well, non-existent! So here I am, trying to work, breastfeed, deal with Conner’s separation anxiety and make sure my nanny is ok handling both of them at the same time. Is 3:30 too early for a glass of wine? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked the path from my office to the house today to pee, whip out my boobs, soothe Conner, direct my nanny or just make sure things are somewhat under control. I keep reminding myself, this is it, you never have to go through this again and it will get easier. In 20, maybe 30 years.