Most Sincerely,

Through the Viewfinder.As I mentioned last week me and Baby were able to get out in the warmth and sunlight. We spent the day singing along to the Weepies and at a rather vintage play set, in a sleepy little town, taking photos. I chose to do some Through the Viewfinder shooting. If you are unfamiliar with such a technique here is a good tutorial.

I chose TTV because I have been a bit jaded by digital photography here lately, and especially so after getting back some 120mm negatives I shot through my most favorite Yashica Mat 124-G (look at how beautiful she is). Nevertheless, I did not have any 120mm film laying around and processing is nearly impossible for those beloved negatives. So I improvised.

Craving a change of perspective I made a messy light shield for our Kodak Duaflex and grabbed my Nikon D-SLR. A change in perspective is a powerful thing. I am learning that more and more each day, one step at a time. This pregnancy has taught me so much, and I can only imagine the lessons that are still to be learned.

One lesson I am learning through, messily albeit, is how to feed myself and the baby. If you have followed this blog for very long you have been witness to my journey toward wholeness and health. A large part of that journey has been learning how to feed myself. I journeyed through vegetarianism, into veganism, and for a short while was juicing extensively and eating a raw diet. Then I found out that I was pregnant and my body started changing drastically. Often times I find myself lost as to what to feed myself and the baby. I have had very little appetite, every meal is a struggle. Me and Josh's dialogue goes something like this:

Josh: What do you want to do for dinner babe?
Me: I don't know, nothing sounds good. What sounds good to you?
Josh: Everything.
Me: That doesn't help.

Not to mention that sometimes cooking can be a hazardous activity, with all those smells that my nose is now extra sensitive to pick up. And there are very few healthful options to choose for a dinner out in our town.

When we went down to visit our midwife in February, who we didn't have the opportunity to meet because she was at a birth, we sat down with Elizabeth, the attending physician, and Ivy, one of the head midwives. They asked if there was anything we wanted to make sure we discussed and I said my diet. I voiced my frustration and concerns over feeding myself and the baby. Both of these insightful women not only offered amazing advice but also put us at ease, allowing us to understand that this is a normal stage in pregnancy, that for most women during the first trimester nothing sounds good. Elizabeth also gave me an affirmation to use when it comes to eating, "All food is good food." This is definitely a different perspective from the boxes I have put myself in regarding nourishment. It is difficult, as I understand that some foods are better than other foods. Even still, if it comes to not eating or eating food that is "not so good," I am learning that you eat the food that is not so good because the baby has to eat and so do I.

So now it is one meal at a time. I take it two hours at a time. If I start thinking too much about future meals I get stressed out and discouraged. Today I've got one small meal under my belt so far-- peanut butter toast with a little agave, a ripe plum, and a glass of unsweetened almond milk. Around 11:30am it will be time for me to make another decision, and so on... I am learning that taking these small steps is pertinent to my wellbeing. I am hoping to be able to transfer some of these practices to the bigger things in life. To be present and live one step at a time.