12/52

"A portrait of Queenie Valentine, once a week, every week in 2013."

We walk back from the beach where Queenie had her first dip in the sea. And only her toes, as it was freezing. She found herself a souvenir, which she held high the whole journey home. 

Queenie was quite unsettled this week, Liam was away from Monday to Friday and we were very glad of his return this weekend. While he was away I kept myself busy painting and cooking new recipes. Queenie loved it and ate more than ever. She was a real trooper, and despite an ear infection she's still been cheerful and extra cuddly. She'd sit on the floor with a big sketchbook and a box of pencils, which she meticulously emptied, stuffing as many into her hands as she could before scattering them about the kitchen. She enjoyed flicking through a sweet number book we borrowed from the library, pointing at the pictures, ushering noises to represent each image. She's learnt to blow kisses, and it melts my heart.

This post is part of the 52 project. This week my favourites were this adorable photograph of Lily, and Rebecca's portrait of her son, Sylas and his scribbles.

blur

to obscure by making confused in form or outline; make indistinct.
to dim the perception or susceptibility of; make dull or insensible.

"The blow on the head blurred his senses."

I've noticed that so often I make a decision to keep a blurred image and dispose of the focused version. I've got tendencies toward blur. I like the way the image becomes less a portrayal of a thing or a person, but of shapes and in some cases just a smear of colour. Looking back they seem to evoke a feeling. A hazy memory and I'm surprised to find that I recognise the green splodge and can remember what it was and where it was captured. Those that are much more apparent, the blur is only gentle, its evident what it is, I like because they make the reality a little foggy. There is still no definition which leaves the photograph quite vague, expressions are softened and again has a memory quality to it.

I like the quote the dictionary spat at me explaining 'blur'. I feel my senses have been blurred recently. I'm living in a bit of a sleep-deprived haze, wondering aimlessly around from one thing to the next. Liam has got a new job as a Police Community Support Officer, which is brilliant, except the training. It's nine weeks and during that time he is only home for weekends. This has been the first week and it's been hard. Really hard. I've been quite unwell for a few weeks and I think that I've dreaded Liam leaving, which has made me worse. So I have been recovering but doing so with broken sleep is difficult. Queenie has been so unsettled this week. I put it down to the rhythm of life being shuffled around a bit without Liam but then high temperatures led me to visit the doctor, where we were told we both have ear infections. Poor Queens, I feel rotten for not picking up on it before.
Liam is home now for the weekend and we will spend it staying in bed late, making pancakes, drinking tea, generally enjoying each others company and taking things slow. I've got piles of clean clothes to sort and tidy away then a few meals to cook and freeze for the next week. I'm feeling inspired by all this colour and would like to sneak away and have a little time to paint, but who knows. How about you, what are your plans for the weekend?

Photographs 8 and 9 are taken from India's birthday dinner in february. I love the glistening candles and blue vibes.

11/52

"A portrait of Queenie Valentine, once a week, every week in 2013."

Rain rain rain. I forgot the cover for her lap so when an unexpected downpour reared its head, a raincoat took its place. Her legs were dry but it wasn't able to ward off Queenie's hands from the rain.

This week has been a bit hazy. I know we went to the park and Queenie had her first go on the swings, which she loved. We fed the ducks and visited friends. Liam went away for a couple of days and she was quite sad, I think she may have missed him. She's started shuffling underneath chairs and sits there for ages, eating pears or drumming on a cake tin. Sleeping is still difficult and I'm not functioning well, hence the lack of memory this week!

This post is part of the 52 project. This week I loved the photographs taken by The Beetle Shack, especially the cheeky one of Pippi at the window.

Grey

Last week we were all feeling pretty down in the dumps. I've had a virus and I've been physically exhausted. We ate loads and slept as much as we could during the day. We tried to get out as much as possible. I was feeling too tired to carry Queenie, which gave us lots of opportunities to take her out in our gorgeous Silvercross pram. We've had it a couple of weeks and loved every minute! It's 62 years old and still in a beautiful condition. I'm stopped every time I go out, by old ladies commenting about how wonderful it is to see one still being used these days. But it's brilliant for carrying shopping!

10/52

"A portrait of Queenie Valentine, once a week, every week in 2013."

So pleased to be spending the whole day with her daddy, and sitting up in her wonderful new (old) pram.

What a long, but lovely week. Queenie played while we dug at the allotment on Monday. On tuesday she enjoyed the company of some little friends at a breastfeeding support group I help run. She's rarely breastfeeding during the day now, but still so much at night. We've begun to accept she just doesn't need as much sleep as others. The rest of the week was pretty quiet, playing in the kitchen and doing some jobs in the flat. On friday evening we took her to an art fair in Truro, I hoped she'd sleep in my wrap but there was way too much going on around us. She peeked round my shoulder and pointed at everyone. We bought her a gorgeous alphabet print from Josh that we're going to frame for her birthday. I love how sociable she is, how active right to the last second before dropping off. She's aware of so much and it's fascinating seeing how she interacts more and more with people and things. I have fallen even deeper in love with her. Today is my first Mothers day and I am so proud and blessed to be her mama. She is truly scrumptious, and our real little mate!

This is part of the 52 project. My favourite last week were these photographs of Oliver. Those eyes! Such a cutie.

9/52

"A portrait of Queenie Valentine, once a week, every week in 2013."

Laughing as we play with bricks in bed to delay getting up in the morning.

This week Queenie has really grown. She loves playing with her 'dadada' after he baths her, they bounce on the bed and joke around. Its amazing seeing her fabulous sense of humour. She laughs at the strangest of things (like today we were in the supermarket and she just pointed at the butcher mincing meat and begun laughing). On thursday she was sat with Ruby while she did her science homework, and Queenie picked up a pen and started drawing on the paper. So proud.

She had her first trip to the cinema. She tried cheerios and seriously loves them, I've never seen her eat anything so fast. 

Find more blogs entering the 52 project here. I've found the blog of Rebekka Seale and really enjoyed her 52 posts. Each week she captures a photograph of somebody who is important to her. Such a lovely idea. Look through her portraits so far.

Sing

Spring! Spring! Spring! It makes me want to sing!
Signs of new life are everywhere. A few photographs I snapped today whilst walking up and down the road trying to get Queenie to sleep. (With no success I may add. Our girl fights sleep something crazy!)