welcome sarah

sarah, originally uploaded by lea.smith.

it's amazing the whole process of pregnancy and birth. and though i've seen it first hand before and even experienced it myself, i still get teary-eyed when that little bebe finally enters this world.

my girlfriend kim's birth experience with sarah was quick and uncomplicated. kim was a super woman and handled each contraction with calm and grace. she did finally chose to get an epidural but almost immediately after the epidural she was ready to push and though she was tired and numb from the epidural she was able to give birth to sarah without any complications. congrats to kim and steve and big brother joey, sarah is the perfect addition to a wonderful family unit. and thank you for letting me share in this special moment in your lives.

self-aware

i am guilty of not being self-aware. and today i received a reminder of how ugly those who are unaware can be. while waiting in line at the post office to purchase postage for a package, i became increasingly uncomfortable with a man in line talking really loud. everyone who knows me knows i have volume control issues. i suspect this man may have been hard of hearing because his volume was booming. i tried really hard not to listen in on his conversation to a young woman in line about every possible topic, but then it became clear that the woman was not engaging this man. he was not self-aware and had total diarrhea of the mouth. at one point the woman he was talking to was being helped by a postal agent as was the man and he blurted out how if the man she is with isn't treating her like his favorite toy than he doesn't deserve her. i believe he intended well but to compare any woman to a toy is kind of offensive to say the least comical. a few women huffed and puffed at his comment. i didn't find it as offensive because i felt bad for him. he continued to publicly air his dirty laundry at as if he was a bird singing the joys of spring. as my turn at the counter approached, i found myself extremely self-aware and practically whispered my needs to the postal agent. i left the post office more self aware than i have ever been before. i think i will be making a more conscience effort to regulate my volume as i now understand how uncomfortable it can be for others.

rain rain go away...

it's been raining here for a while, i feel like it's been weeks. i'm ready for summer or spring at the least... i'd like to wear short sleeves and open toed shoes, take photos until the sunset, go to the beach and not have to wear a jacket and go to bed at 10 because i didn't realize it was that late.

i am a warn weather girl and i am ready to celebrate summer, bring it on mother nature!