Opa

3 generations

Four New Photos

Check out the latest to be added to my stock portfolio.

Six Weeks Old

Alex's Parents. June 29, 1973. Asperg, Germany.

German Spring, Restored

Easter, 1976, Southern Germany

Alex's parents brought some photos for me to restore. Alex is 2 in this one.

Tiffany and Kofi

Zander and Kofi

Parenthood Week 5

1. Going to the bathroom, when you want and need to, becomes a luxury when you enter the realm of parenthood
2. Being alone is a luxury
3. Silence is a luxury
4. Never trust the silence, it won't last
5. Pacifiers and milk may become known as "silencers"
6. You will suddenly understand why people go on vacations you once deemed 'boring'
7. Reading. Do I still know how to read?

But, as corney and goopey as it sounds, I wouldn't change a thing cause my small small husband is the sweetest little man I've known, apart from his dad, of course.

First Smiles

Big Small Boy

Zander Meets Oma & Opa

Zander & Poppy

What's in Store

Annemarie, 2005

Finally, Autumn is upon us--Yahoo for cooler temps and warmer colors! This was taken last fall. My dear friend Annemarie is the model. Speaking of Annemarie, she was married this weekend to my dear dear friend Geoffrey. Their wedding was in France (where Geoffrey is from) so given little Zander's age we unfortunately couldn't make it but we won't hold it against him.

Photos for Sale, Choose a Photo, Any Photo

15 new images by yours truly have been added to my stock portfolio. Check 'em out HERE by entering "Mallet" as photographer.

Deferring All Things Blog

Life is exciting, so exciting that I'm going to have to hold off on writing about the details and defer the baby updating task to my better half and his blog, which is complete with new Zander photos and happenings.

Multi-tasking Papa

Zander as Smurf

Zander as Smurf

The Papa Speaks

Alex's notes on week one of Fatherhood are here

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A List of Motherhood So Far

The whole 'you'll never sleep again' thing isn't as bad as I thought. Who knows how I'll feel about that next week.
I have no idea how single mothers manage raising children solo. Alex is a super dad and I could never do this without him.
Umbilical cord stumps are not for eating. When you get up in the night to eat some walnuts with your baby slung over your shoulder and then return to bed and find what you think is a left-over walnut in his blankey, be sure it's a nut before putting it in your mouth.
I've been reading the same article from the NewYorker for 5 days straight. Each time I get to read it I have to stop on the same column--I give up.
I've started watching the same episode of HBO's "The Wire" 3 times and have not yet actually watched it.
I did knit an entire 3 rows on a baby blanket that will be for Zander's first child at the rate I'm going.

All that said, I don't care because I've got the cutest boy EVA!!!!!!

Zander Sleeps

Alex & Zander

Alexander The Great

Alexander (Zander) Foli Todd Mallet heeded the eviction notice I posted on the 15th and made his appearance on August 16th at 9:41 am, after 13 hours of labor. He's a big boy, weighing in at a hefty 9 pounds 2 ounces. Man, childbirth is hard!!!! More on the details later.

Eviction Notice

Here is a picture.
See the picture.
It's not me, it's Lindsay, but it describes things quite well.
My Tenant's Eviction/Induction Date Has Been Set: Monday, Aug. 21

Dear Tenant,

Please vacate the premises sooner so we don't have to force you out :)

Love,
Your Landlord, Host Organism, and Mom

Butterfly

Disclaimer: No butterfly was harmed in this shoot--it was already dead.

Macro Mooshi & Yes, I'm Still Pregnant

Older & More Creative

Gerber

Yesterday, I received a most excellent bday present from Alex--the Lensbabie 2.0 and Macro lenses. When we got home from Body Worlds, showing at the Museum of Science, I dinked around with the macro lenses. These here blossoms are the result.

The Lensbaby is not a 'traditional' lens by any means. It's more of an artistic, creative sort of photo toy. The effects end up looking like photos shot with a Holga. I haven't quite mastered it yet but am having fun attempting to.

Anyway, it was a swell day to turn 33.

Unfolding Gerber

Nastrutium

Dalia

The Rescuers

Stefanie

Yesterday was a big big day for me--I left the house, used 'my words' on someone other than Alex, and shot some photos at Forest Hills. Big ups to Stefanie (photog extrodinaire-check out her site) and her kiddies for rescuing me from confinement.

Madison

Garrett

The Natural Law of Public Transportion in Extreme Conditions

I fancy myself a person of reason but must admit that I'm becoming more and more superstitious with age. I'm convinced the universe is plotting against me which is why I am a firm believer in the Natural Law of Opposites. Nevertheless, this latest curse of Mother Nature is just unfair.

To escape the heat I could go to the pool at MIT or some other 'cooling center' but the problem and reason I don't is a subsection of the Natural Law of Opposites, it's called the Natural Law of Public Transportation in Extreme Conditions.

The Natural Law of Public Transportation in Extreme Conditions works like this. Take a scorching or freezing day, or just any day where you are in a hurry, running late or maybe sick and have to rely on public transportation.

You go to the bus stop expecting a 5-minute wait, the norm, but end up waiting and waiting leaving you to wonder if the MBTA has cancelled the route in the direction you're going. It will become clear that the same route going the opposite direction has not been cancelled because during your excruciatingly hot 30 minute wait caravans of busses going the opposite direction, 3 deep, running every 5 or so minutes and almost completely empty will pass and taunt you.

The above scenario happens every time I brave the bus and it doesn't matter which direction of the route I'm waiting for--I will wait and wait and wait and count the number of busses going the opposite direction. I'll end up having conversations with the transients who occupy the benches and like all conversations with strangers these days, the talk will be baby, which is mildly pleasant.

The Devil and The Clown

My nephew, Dashiell (aka 'The Devil') just turned 21 and this is what he's getting from me--a print of him and his sister Greer on Halloween, 1987.

Photographic Proof That We Exist

Exhibit A

Photos of the two of us together (or shall I say 3 of us?) are rare. Probably because one of us is always behind the camera.

Exhibit B

Slumbering Sandeep in the Co-Sleeper

Baby Paws

Flared

Another film ditty from the archives. This one was taken in the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle a few years back.

The traditionalists and purists say photographic lens flare is a no no, but judging from the plentitude of pro work out there with lens' a flaring I'm going to have to say its 'the thing.' based on the pro work out there flaring for effect. The above version was an error but this one from Forest Hills was not--I planned it and consequently my agency picked it up.
My Rule: Always Break The Rules :)

Plastination & You

Finally! Finally I say! Body Worlds is coming to Boston!

Von Hagens and his corpses have been creating controversy where ever they land, which surprises me because his people are the best looking dead people you'll see anywhere. Check out the Body Worlds site and if you're looking for a good read, check out 'Stiff' by Mary Roach, which features a section on von Hagens that's both informative and a crack-up, which is a good description for the entire book.

Getting Sushi's ashes this week reconfirmed my desire for an 'alternative' post-mortem process--a once 11 lb cat is now 1 cup of gravel. I want something more, something fabulous for my body when I'm gone and I'm in luck.

It turns out that von Hagens is accepting body donors--yes, I'm very healthy and don't plan to die anytime soon, but when I do, I hope I can be plastinated by von Hagens. If you want to be my friend in the end, maybe you'd like to join me at von Hagens Institute for Plastination.

Body Donation forms here.

Somewhere in Tunisia, 10 years ago

Long ago, in another life, I went to Tunisia on vacation. Here's a shot from somewhere in the Sahara which I scanned and converted to black and white. I quite like it.

Waiting & Other Bits

I'll technically be 'full-term' on Monday which means the little man could arrive at any point, although his ETA isn't until the 14th of August. I'm waiting to unplug the above phone because of punch-drunk-baby-induced-fatigue.

There's a theory that first timers are more likely to be overdue which is why I'm invoking the spirit responsible for The Natural Law of Wishes, wishes that don't come true.

The law: If you wish for something it's very very unlikely it will come true.

My wish: To be really overdue, 14 days in fact.

Now, since I'm far from lucky and The Great Spirit of Wishes will surely not grant me my 'supposed' wish, I'm hoping I've bypassed this law of nature. On the other hand, if my superstitious ways prove to be true, I probably just ruined it for myself by confessing that I'm trying to outwit 'the system.'

Other bits:
I submitted another lot of photos to my agency for potential sale--54 in total--we'll see which, if any, of them they want. It's sort of my last photography hurrah for a while since I doubt I'll have much time to do such things in the near future.

The weather is now fabulous--in the 70s and tolerable.

We picked up Sushi's ashes at the MSPCA today and well, there's not much left of him, about a cup of gravel really. I was dreading doing this and of course it created another breakdown but at least it's done. Something very weird: The various colored chunks of him--there's one pebble that's a robin's egg color.

The baby room is done, painted, set up and clean. I went against Dr. Nosey of Yumont Hardware's advice and exposed myself to paint. I'll post photos someday soon.

Bags for the hospital are almost packed.

*Badeee badeee, that's all folks!

Bainbridge to Seattle Ferry

See these people? These people are comfortable. It's about 70-75 degrees and they are not sweating like pigs. Oh how I wish I was there........

Rhubarb

Nothing much to report so have this pretty picture I took a year ago.
I'm officially on pregnancy 'confinement' as my mother terms it. What's pregnancy confinement? Think house arrest and what's arresting you is heat and discomfort. Only 32 days left before the little man is due to arrive.

She's On The Job!

KiKi, Retail SuperHero has made contact with the Nordstroms and all is well. Read about her selfless and amazing retail adventure which is making our material world a better place!

Galaxy In My Glass

Three Years Ago Today

July 5, 2003

Baby Knats

JP: The Center for Prenatal Advice and Predictions

Macho seems to be the consensus from the baby bump experts. Saturday, at the hardware store, while waiting for Alex I sat down to give my bear paw feet a rest. A very friendly woman from the Dominican Republic decided to join me, grope me, and give me her opinion on what I'm having. Her opinion: "Que macho!" Bingo, but she could have just asked me.

Although the above baby oracle is clearly knowledgeable about boy vs. girl bumps her declaration required groping whereas the man in a wheelchair, going top speed down Centre Street, who passed and yelled "You're having a boy!" Needed no hands-on time to make his judgment—he wins the blue ribbon.

The same hardware store with the groping lady also has a full time Dr.--call him Dr. Nosey. If you posses no medical care and need a quick consultation look no further than Yumont Hardware. Although I do have medical care I was totally oblivious to the dangers of paint. Did you know paint will melt your baby's brain? The hardware store doctor has personal experience with all sorts of brain damage-- "When my mother was pregnant with me she drank and now I have OCD." I wanted to add to his list of issues but wimped out and couldn't tell him to shut his trap and give me my paint so I could go home and guzzle some whiskey and bask in paint fumes.