A hundred pieces.

The first time I felt the baby move I was so astonished by the experience I almost cried. It was just this tiny little push that reminded me that there is a viable little person inside of me. Amazing.

These days, Smoosh moves around a lot. Those tiny little movements aren't quite so small anymore - sometimes they're not too bad but other times I start to think "Knock it off in there, or you're grounded!"

As of last night, I am finished all of my assignments for PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods. It was a long, difficult semester for me and although I met a lot of really awesome people, I'm glad that it's over. It was very frustrating and difficult for me to exert myself so physically for such long hours, knowing that it wasn't good for the baby or for me. We both needed to be resting a lot more than we were able.

I've felt like I haven't really had time to be myself or to get to know my changing body or the little one we're waiting to meet because of the demands of school. I have always been determined to finish my BFA and am proud of myself for being one step closer (two more classes this Summer II semester and then it's over) but I have really been longing to have more time to prepare for Smoosh. I feel like I've been torn into a hundred different directions and although I know which direction is most important to me, I haven't been able to pursue it. I'm very tired and I feel like I've neglected my child by overexerting myself for class. I don't like it.

I just keep looking to the end of the summer when I'm done school and I can spend some time with my husband and my baby bump.

RuNett Nia Ebo

The last few weeks have been quite the learning experience. I have had the pleasure of meeting a variety of interesting people whose dedication to the community has really been astonishing.

Leola B.C. Highsmith, who runs a seven-days a week operation out of Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, helps to make sure over a hundred families in the area are fed each week, and that their children are given after-school activities and a safe place to go.

Reverend Kevin Porter hosts a monthly coffee house open mic out of the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown where locals are encouraged to connect with their creative side.

But I have felt no closer sense of connection than with Germantown's poet, RuNett Nia Ebo. RuNett and I had the opportunity to meet for the second time on Tuesday and get a great interview (which you can view here). It's been a while since I've written a good poem, but I completely connected with her theory that poetry can help us to deal with pain. So much of what she said resounded with me as I remembered how I used writing therapeutically as a child and even still today, with this blog and to some degree, with my facebook page.

Moral of the story: I may be working my butt off for this class, but I am meeting some fantastic people along the way!

20 Weeks.

It's taken long enough, but a photo gallery is finally in the works. It's kind of funny to me that my passion was so firmly rooted in pregnancy and birth photography before I ever became pregnant. These last several months have been a really amazing affirmation that this is what I want to be doing. I love our baby - I love this 'mommy' feeling that's growing and developing with this little person inside of me. It's such a surreal, truly incredible experience. This photo was taken today - I'm officially 20 weeks pregnant. Five months, how did that happen???

Stay tuned for details on this gallery! Every penny will be going towards the cost of a natural home birth, which is not covered by insurance. Incidentally, all compensation for my photography services currently is being allocated for this purpose as well. So if you have an event coming up - a wedding, a birthday party, an award ceremony, anything - or if you'd just like some up-to-date family photos, be sure to let me know!