And here I thought I was simply writing for my own amusement, or to just keep my family across the ocean up-to-date (hi mom), but I actually perused my weblogs today and discovered - low and behold - I have subscribers!!!  I even have subscribers to the photo blogs, Captures Light, although to all you who read my blog, it’s now just a feed for the photos I publish here.

Well hello to all.  Now that I know I actually have an audience, I’ll post more interesting stuff.  Although, my definition of ‘interesting’ may be different to yours.

Oh, and for a slight update, I’ve been buried in complicated job-related CSS for 3 days now, and my brain is mush, but it’s a fantastic feeling.  I’ve even discovered new and powerful ways to layout grids which are totally backward compatible all the way to IE5, with no hacks.  It’s brilliant.  I will expand more on this idea tomorrow hopefully.  For the time being, here’s a photo which sums up my current mood…

It’s been a long week… :)

I got to do something really interesting this weekend.  I got to spend the entire time with my daughter, which doesn’t usually happen as I am the working stiff in our family, and my husband is the housewife.  This of course has the knock-on effect of daddy being the parent our little munchkin goes to whenever she needs something, or falls down, or just generally needs a hug.

However, THIS weekend, my wonderful hubby became so popular, he spent most of the time out, which suited me fine as I got to be the one who kissed the boo-boos and helped further the campaign for potty-training. :)  Indeed it was a wonderful weekend, punctuated brilliantly by out little 2-year-old crawling into my lap yesterday evening to just give me a hug.  I almost cried.

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

- Emily Jane Brontë

…and all too quickly, they’re gone.

May they come back soon.

It’s really interesting.  To look back on my life 3 years ago, and to compare it to now reveals much more than obvious changes that having children would entail.  As my friends and family will no doubt confirm, I’ve always been fairly sensitive and a little over-emotional, reacting strongly to things unrelated to me that probably would not phase the average person. While I’ve often felt a slight sense of pride over this, it’s also made being around me an interesting adventure for those who know me.

Now however, my emotions have been cranked into overdrive, and it is not simply post-pregnancy hormones as my daughter is now 2 years old.  Just 3 weeks ago, my husband had to accept a phone call from me, crying outside my office building in the middle of the work day, as I had just read a story on friend’s blog about her baby daughter that had me uncontrollably upset.  I’ve discovered I simply can no longer hear stories of children in pain or distress of any kind.  I suppose that would be an obvious button for anyone, but I’m facinated by how strongly my emotional reactions have changed.

Case and point, an online friend made a cry for help on her blog about a woman she knows whose daughter has a rare genetic disorder which will claim her life by the time she’s four.  Her only wish is to take her daughter to see the ocean during her life, and the Make A Wish Foundation would not grant it because they claimed the daughter was too young to benefit from it. This blogger however decided that since she receives 500 visitors to her blog a day, she would set up a donation account on Pay Pal and ask visitors to donate any amount of money so they could fund the family of six to reach the East Coast.  After reading her entry, I, for the first time in my life, made a €10 donation simply because I could not stop crying at the family’s hardship.  Four years ago, I would have been very sad and would have felt for the family, but I can say with completely honesty, I probably would not have had as strong of a reaction.

Perhaps becoming a mother has made me a better person. :)

Here’s a quick peak at a series I’ve been working on for a few weeks. This red cardigan was actually hand-knitted for me by my grandmother when I was 2 years old, and I’ve been saving it my whole life, waiting for the day that my own daughter would be able to wear it.This day was the first (and I think only) day she was big enough to wear it, so I had to take her to one of my favourite locations, the Athlone Castle, since the old stone gives fantastic texture and a nice monochromatic background.

And additionally, I’ve decided to make the switch. I’m beginning to see more and more of my photos pop-up in unlikely, and unassociated places, so I’ve started water-marking. I’ve had issue with this for quite sometime, as I’ve always felt that watermarks punish 99% of the audience who simply want to enjoy photography, however, since I’m now posting more and more photos of my daughter, (and bands who get really picky for some reason), I realise I need to take that extra step towards protection. So please forgive me loyal photo viewers. I’ve entered the watermarking world, and I hope it doesn’t detract from your viewing experience.

Playing with daddy on the 2000 year old wall.

Every time we walk out to the river, she stops at these blocks and has a seat. Not sure why, but it’s particularly adorable.

This is another time honoured tradition on our walks around the castle. This old water well has been there for at least a couple hundred years I think, since Athlone is a very old garrison town on the River Shannon. I think each time she goes up to it, she expects water to come out, and always gets disappointed when nothing happens.

Another regularly occurring look on my daughter’s face… she’ll turn around thinking, “Mommy was just here a second ago…”