365: May Favorites

In celebration of another month completed for my 365 project, I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures from the second half of the month. May began with well intentions to post a picture daily...obviously I found other things to occupy my time. Things like photographing adorable families and babies (pictures to come!) and vacuuming up a never ending supply of Cherrios and raisins that seem to follow a certain boy around the house.

I love looking at the pictures clustered together and suddenly these simple pictures show our lives and the everyday moments I never want to forget.

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Month 15

Dear J,

This month I was thinking about where we were as a family a year ago. Last year at this time I wrote you a similar letter to the one I'm writing now, except it was for J at three months old.

One year ago I was so excited that you were just beginning to grasp toys with your hands. I was so proud that you could finally hold your head up! I was delighted then that you would hear our voices and turn your head to find us. One year ago you had barely started smiling at us after months and months of scowls and angry eyes.

When I think about who you are now, it is hard to imagine that quiet, contemplative, immobile little guy.

This month you have decided to live up to your new nickname of "circus boy" by climbing on top of just about everything in sight. You climb on kitchen chairs which leads to kitchen tables (and peanut butter!). You climb the counter height chairs which leads to the kitchen counter! 

Let's just say you are under close surveillance now.

While trying to convince your parents that you desperately need a dog, you took the vacuum for walks around the house. You were very persistent, even when the vacuum didn't want to budge.

This month you have also expanded your vocabulary to include shoes, juice, peaches, ball, yogurt, bubbles, and Grandpa. Your favorite word by far is still cheese. When we ask if you want to eat, you always respond with a big smile and ,"cheese cheeeeese cheeese!" You have even learned to open the fridge so you can find cheese for yourself.

You are on your way to being an independent boy, and I couldn't be more proud! Love, Mom

365: In the Kitchen

May 7th { in the kitchen }

 This is what happens when I am not in the kitchen, but he is...alone and looking for trouble.

(Are you seeing a pattern here?)

This boy loves the kitchen. I think it is fair to say that nearly ALL of his favorite things can be found there. Cheese, spatulas, bananas, peanut butter, and large cabinets for hiding.

Soon I will have to convert his love of the kitchen into a love of cooking. And then into a love of making his mommy delicious chocolate (or peanut butter! or nutella!) treats.

365: Mischievous Smiles

Today I was enjoying a blissful moment of silence until I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. J wandered off when I was on the phone with the doctor. He isn't making ANY noise. How could I let him get away?!

I quickly started racing around the house calling his name. All I hear in return are little giggles. "Well at least he is alive," I thought. Alive and obviously up to no good.

Finally I found him! As I came through the doorway he looked up at me innocently, holding my sparkly cream eyeshadow in his hands. I took a deep breath when I saw that no damage was done. He had only smeared a small amount on the bathroom floor. While putting the eyeshadow away in the drawer, J turned into the light and I saw the true crime.

May 6th { smiles }

Sparkly cream eyeshadow all over his mouth! This picture was taken after he had tried to conceal his mischief from me, but you can see that he missed a spot : )

365: A Walk and Where I Live

May 4th { walk }

Lately all the Piepers do is walk. You've probably seen us around town and thought, "Those Piepers sure are far from home." Yes we were. Thanks for noticing.

J is a miserable teething boy and being in the house all day makes him stir crazy. Which makes us crazy. When the weather is pleasant (and even not so much so) we grab our shoes, stroller, and camera, and head out the door.

**We interupt this post for a side note about shoes! J has learned the word "shoes" (sounds like jews). When we ask him to find his shoes, he toddles around searching and usually comes back to us with a shoe or two. I must say, it is adorable!**

On this particular walk I set my camera on the sidewalk, set the ten-second timer, and let J run at the camera. I was hoping to catch us walking along leisurely as a family.

Well J started running at the camera and so I did too (for obvious reasons). The shutter snapped a picture (sans head and body) just before J was able to grab it.

(Insert sigh of relief)

May 5th { where I live }

This is where we live. It is a cute little green house with lots of room, inside and out, for J to run and play. Shown is his favorite window (notice the hand/face prints) where he sits and/or lays on the back of the couch and watches for dogs and garbage trucks.

Oh I will miss this little house when we move in August!

365: A New Focus on Me

May 3rd { a new focus on me }

My library bookshelf to be exact. We are library-lovers at the Pieper house! Being less than a mile from our public library means that we walk there nearly daily. We bring home more and more books each time.

J loves the board book shelves at the library, the kids' computers (he just sits in the tiny chairs and dutifully types at the keyboards), and the comfy couches that look like books. He always manages to bring home something with a puppy on it.

Joseph loves learning about new and exotic places, near and far, and so he brings home travel and National Geographic books with the occasional Backpacker magazine.

Can you tell my interests?

With a new sewing machine (yay!) for a birthday present from my mom, I'm trying to learn the Martha way. I seem to have a strange love for cookbooks. Even with the many recipes on the blogs I follow and Pinterest, I seem to always want to come back to a book. I am loving the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook with iconic perfect recipes for so many common and completely new to me dishes.

I just finished Happier at Home, Janssen's suggestion, and I have loved my new outlook on life, home, and happiness. Part of being happy is to eliminate the things in life that you feel guilty about, hence the family history book. Doing family history makes me happy because I don't feel guilty for not doing it. (This is still a work in progress).

And finally, photography! Even though I am taking a professional photography course right now, I still feel the need for MORE reading material. I have checked out both of these books, Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth and Your Baby in Pictures by Me Ra Koh, several times and I love the simple and direct way they teach everyday moms how to take great pictures of their kids. I cannot recommend them enough!

Aaaand that was a very long post about my boring bookshelf with zero pictures of my cute little man! That seems a little unfair and dull.

So here you go : )

365: Stating the Obvious

This boy belongs in the circus!
Can't you just see him practicing his acrobatics on the back of a painted elephant? 
(Side note, do circuses still exist?)

May 2nd { stating the obvious }

When he was learning to walk, J would grab onto the giraffe's ears and slowly walk around the house, bumping into walls and unsuspecting legs. Now it seems as if these two are destined for the big top together! 

Barnum and Bailey here they come!

365: Crayons

May 1st { crayons }

April was a difficult month for me photographically. We just moved into a new house, which should have provided new opportunities to explore and take pictures of our lives. Instead, I just felt bored. (Hence the many, many pictures of J in all his cuteness and rarely anything else..)

With the new month of May, I decided to challenge myself by using a list of prompts for my 365 project this month. Prompts have proved difficult for me in the past and I hope the challenge will recharge my creative juices and produce more interesting and artistic photographs.

My prompt that I photographed today, and I will post tomorrow, is {Stating the obvious}. And if you were saddened today by the lack of J, I promise that tomorrow will not disappoint.