twenty thirteen here we come…
Posted in personal January 8th, 2013 by pia

PJB_Lalyandissabellaphoto

Happy new year mes amis. It’s a scorcher here in Sydney today, I’m sitting in our office/studio/storage space in the house which has a skylight – normally I love the skylight, today, not so much: The room feels like a sauna. Apparently it is 43 degrees out there. Laly is having an afternoon nap (yay!), so I thought I’d take this opportunity to write a little post to say hello! and welcome in the new year. I hope you’re all well and enjoyed the festive season. Did you get a chance to make a wreath? Mine is looking rather brown in this hot weather.

I have lots to share with you in the coming weeks. I have an incredible project which I have been keeping secret for a long time as I wasn’t sure if I could finish it. With the help of some wonderful people, I’ve actually managed to complete it over the past 6 months and I cannot wait to reveal it in one week’s time. Oh, I’m so excited. I’m so excited!

{This photo was taken on New Years Day. We hung out with my cousin’s family and Laly got lots of kisses and cuddles from her cousins Issabella – pictured, and Sahraa.}

 

 

washing day…
Posted in personal, pia's photos, the sydney cottage October 29th, 2012 by pia

Once upon a time, but not so long ago, Monday was my ‘washing day’. I’d do a week’s worth of washing in one day, about three loads (whites, colours, dark) – maybe with an extra load for woolens every now and then.

These days, every day is washing day, with more loads than I can count. Sometimes I might skip a day if I’m out and about. That’s never a good thing for the days that follow.

Having baby clothes amongst the laundry is delightful though, there is no denying it.

 

xx

my first Mother’s Day…
Posted in personal, pia's photos May 20th, 2012 by pia

So last weekend was my first Mother’s Day as a mother. Romain had planned to head to curl curl beach for a picnic as it was the very beach he and I sat on the day before Laly was born, both of us waiting (im)patiently for her late arrival. We thought it would be a nice idea to take her back to the place where perhaps, the crashing waves woke her from her cozy womb slumber and brought her into the world. However, it happened to be a very windy autumn day and although we persisted and spread out our blanket on the cold sand, Laly wasn’t impressed. It seems she is not a fan of windy cold beach weather (who knew!). We lasted about 20 minutes, scoffing down our cafe quiches and heading back to the warmth of the car. We ditched the idea of finding another spot for our picnic and decided to go and surprise my Mum for Mother’s Day instead. Mum was rapt.

Laly is already 3 months old. Time seems to have flown by, although I remember feeling quite the opposite in those first 6 weeks. Everyone kept saying it would get easier and I honestly thought they were all lying, but now I know they were not. I feel like a pro now, understanding the different communicative cries of my baby girl and instinctively responding. It’s a good feeling.

Experiencing my first Mother’s Day as a mother made it all the more real.

So, after visiting my mum and dad, we drove back home, continued with the evening ritual of bath, feed, and bed, then even though we were both exhausted, Romain and I had a romantic dinner at the dining table. It had been months since the table had been cleared for dining. Romain cooked one of my favourite French meals – tartiflette – and we shared a mini bottle of Moët & Chandon which a lovely friend had given me a couple months ago in celebration of Laly’s arrival. It was my first glass of champagne in a year and it. was. divine.

We toasted to our new lives together as parents, and reminisced about the fun times we’d shared with friends in Amsterdam on our houseboat, at this very table.

xx

PS composing blog posts is really hard with a busy bubba. I am amazed at how other bloggers appear to have seamlessly transitioned from blogger to mother-blogger. How?  If I manage to put on a load of washing, feed  & dress myself, and get out the door for a walk that is quite the accomplishment – anything outside of all that is a miracle.

welcome to the world, our little valentine…
Posted in personal, pia's photos March 1st, 2012 by pia

So here she is, our little girl, born at 6:30am on Valentine’s Day. She came into this world strong and determined, just like I felt she was in the womb. Her name is Laly (pronounced lah-lee) – it’s a French name Romain and I picked out many months ago but we wanted to meet her first to be sure it was right, and as soon as we saw her we knew that she was indeed our little Laly…

This has been an incredibly intense journey from the very beginning – the pregnancy, birth, and these first two weeks of motherhood… what a ride, it’s like nothing I have ever experienced. Even though I’ve always admired and respected the mums of the world, I have a greater found respect for all mums past and present. This is one tough job. But just take a look at these photos, they are snippets of the glorious moments to be cherished…

Everyone tells me it gets easier and that by week 6 or so, routines can be established and sleep can be had. I am counting on it. And I’ve learnt this: If there is one way to be sure you are living in the moment, have a baby.

Wow, we are a family now: Valentine’s Day for us will always be when two became three.

xx

as the sun sets…
Posted in personal, pia's photos, quiet spaces October 8th, 2011 by pia

I took this photo the other day on my phone. It was dusk, I had just woken from a late afternoon nap, and this was what I saw as I opened my eyes.  I lay there and watched the scene as the sun set behind the curtain, it was one of the most beautiful impromptu nature performances I’d seen in quite some time.

…………………………………………

There is something else I want to share. Something rather wonderful. Many of you have noticed that I’ve been absent from the airwaves over the past few months. I’ve been very ill, but for the very loveliest of reasons:  I’m pregnant.

I’m now 5 months along. Indeed it’s an incredibly wonderful surprise, something I’ve only ever dreamed of, not truly believing I would actually experience it, but always hoping. On the flip side, it’s been an incredibly rough ride. Unfortunately due to the severity and consistency of my symptoms I had to cancel my work commitments, shoots, book events, and travel which included the fabulous workshop in Canada.  Blogging, emailing, and anything of the sort, has also been out of my reach. At first I was confused, anxious, and worried but my doctor informed me there is a small percentage of women who experience intense symptoms throughout the entire pregnancy. In my life I’d never met anyone who had experienced the symptoms to this extent, so it was a shock to me. But the good news is that over the past few weeks I’ve been having some moments of reprieve from the symptoms, so lets hope those moments turn into days, and maybe even weeks.

Aside from all that, it is pure magic. I am now experiencing lots of movement, and when I rest, I rest knowing  – and feeling – there is a life growing inside me, I am mesmerized. Romain and I are both so happy, and I couldn’t be more nurtured, I feel blessed, regardless of the difficulties.

Thank you for all your lovely, caring emails and comments over the past few months, I apologise for not being able to respond to all. Although I can’t commit to much else at this stage (i.e. consistent blogging or normal work schedule), I strive for it every day. In the meantime, your continual support in my work, my books, and my photography is beyond words, I’m so looking forward to getting back into the thick of it – for now, it’s one new adventure at a time.

xx