We are having the sweetest time getting to know Wolfey. [btw, he's been going by Wolfey a lot, lately. I can't figure out if it's because Leo seems less unique now that I have a friend with a babe days apart from Leo Wolfe that is also named Leo, or if he's really a Wolfey. I still love the name Leo so very much too though. We'll just have to see what sticks.] We’ve been traveling with Wolfey a lot lately. I took him to California with me [minus Lennon] when I shot a wedding in Santa Monica, earlier this month. We took him [plus Lennon] to a shoot I did at Lake Eufaula, last weekend. And he’s been a total champ during his travels, just like his big brother. I have the mentality, just keep traveling with the babe(s) + they will continue to be good travelers. Until that is disproved, I will stick with that practice.
I am starting to feel stretched a little thin. And experiencing working-mom guilt for the first time. I have always loved my work, but I am especially enjoying it lately. My photography + I are so in sync. Exactly what I envision is coming out in every final product I create. It just feels so good + fulfilling.
But my kiddos need their mama. A mama’s love + attention is imperative in the development of kiddos, especially in their first few years. Hussy had to work a conference his work put on a few months ago, and Jamie Lee Curtis spoke at it. She said her only regret in life, was not spending more time with her kids when they were young. That hasn’t left my mind since Papa told me. So, I am going to cut back on work a little through winter break. I feel so weird + uncomfortable typing this out. But it is what it is. I love my work. It takes little effort for me to stay motivated + lately I’ve been in an exciting love affair with it. But I will never in my life get this time back with my babes. They will be out of my home before I know it, and I know I will regret not spending more time with them.

Well, it is without being said- it is a HUUUUUGE difference. One to two kiddos. I didn’t think I would, but yes, I love Leo Wolfe as much as I love Lennon. I had no idea how to imagine a love comparable to what I feel for Lennon. It is just as big, but I do love Leo differently already.

So… having two is obviously more stressful. But Leo as a newborn is a lot less stressful than it was with Lennon. Although both have been total bliss babies, I feel a lot more finesse with Leo Wolfe. I thought I loved it when Lennon was a newborn, but I enjoy it even more with Wolfey because I feel less scared. I was nervous about not feeling like I have enough time with Leo because I have another child + I am working, but I get plenty of sweet time with him. I hold him most hours of the day. If anything, I could use more solo time with Lennon.
It’s wild seeing how Papa’s + my genes come through in another babe. Leo is looking a whole lot like his big brother. But he definitely has this different look to him, and a different feel to him. I am just as mesmerized by baby- I smell his head + rub his sweet feet all hours of the day. Every few minutes I look at him in awe- that he is here, he is healthy, he is beautiful, he is happy.
I do feel like I’ve entered into a whole new club. Just like when I went from being kidless to the parenting world. I, now talk to my friends with two much more because of the camaraderie.

Being back at work full time, I feel stretched a little thin sometimes. But I am enjoying work a lot right now + I am thankful for the fulfillment I receive from doing photography, making people feel beautiful + getting to be creative every day. So my emotions about the whole deal are a little paradoxical- I have a lot of stress right now, but I am SUPER happy right now. 

We are discussing the boys’ [mainly Lennon's] future school plans a lot, lately. I, obviously, want them to go to public schools! While my man loves the free aspect of public schools, I feel an obligation to support + fight for the public school system! Growing up in Baton Rouge, the public schools were so bad, I went to Catholic. Then went to public when we moved to Norman, OK. Oklahoma City schools are quite different than Norman’s + there are only a few public school options K-12. I am hoping we move before Lennon starts kindergarten, so we don’t have to worry about “getting into” a school.  

My tummy is finally starting to feel better, that damn cesarean shit is major! I still feel feverish on my incision if I do too much. I don’t remember it taking this long to heal last time, but I wasn’t chasing a toddler either. I am very ready for my incision to feel better, so I can get back to hot yoga! I haven’t done any crazy dieting, so this “baby-weight” [aka fat] hasn’t dropped quickly. Lately, in my life, I am more into the organic approach- live a healthy, active lifestyle and you’ll be the size you should be. I used to be a total gym-rat [age 14-30]. But I am finally trimming down. I remember noticing huge differences every 3 months after Lennon, and by 9 months//one year, I was pretty much back to normal. [Never back to complete normalcy after carrying a babe in your bod. At least, not when you are thirty or older.]

Traveling as a family at least 1x a year. Journaling or working on mixed media artwork.  Making time with the women in my community to bond and discuss the balancing act that is parenting + marriage + working.

Getting down on eye level and using gentle words to ask what feelings the child is experiencing. Compassion goes a long way in helping a child process emotions. I like the quote “a child isn’t giving you a hard time, they are having a hard time.”

In my experience, when a child is grumpy it is because a basic demand isn’t being met. For example, let’s say Jude us mad at the store because I wouldn’t buy him candy in the check out isle he is likely = hungry/needs protein and a simple high protein snack can be offered instead.

Our son, Jude (5 yrs) actually loves to eat vegetables but can be picky about HOW he eats them and he loves to help in the kitchen so juicing works well for us, I can add pounds of greens and one sweet fruit and he happily drinks the “green juice” he helped to create. Getting him involved in the kitchen gives him a sense of pride and he will taste anything he helped create. We also love to take fresh peppers, snap peas, and salad and dip them into organic hummus or ranch sauce. Giving him a “sauce” is magic! It’s not always love at first bite in our house, but we have a “try everything once” rule that works well.

Walking our dogs through the neighborhood and listening to Jude tell us about his day/hopes/dreams. This has been a tradition ever since he started walking and helps us be present and mindful for what he wants to talk about.

1. African black soap as a face/body wash. Gentle and non-stripping.

2. Practicing self love and body awareness in all stages of motherhood (pregnancy, birth, breast feeding).

3. WATER. Getting half of my weight in ounces per day keeps my skin clear and my bloat away.

My blendtec!

Nursing the baby at take off or landing to help with preventing elevation ear pains.

Discuss transitions with the child and prepare them for the adventure in phases, ie: “we will play for 10 more minutes and then we have to get ready to eat at grandmas.”, then “5 more minutes”, etc.

Introducing the hottest shit around these days! Always Greener: a synthetic grass company. I’m totally obsessed with this stuff + cannot wait until we get it put in our yard. No more mowing the lawn, no more patches of dead grass, no more dead grass throughout the entire winter. It’s simply ALWAYS GREENER! WIN! WIN! WIN!

One of my best girls created this company in Oklahoma City a few years ago. And they are now doing installations all over the country! We even have it at our beach house in Laguna. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!! This week, I am giving away Always Greener’s newest rug! It’s personalized with an initial in the middle. I love it! Don’t miss out on this giveaway. Below are the qualifications. And remember to comment on this post, that’s how my site chooses the winner. Winner will be chosen this Friday. Best of luck!

GIVEAWAY QUALIFICATIONS:

LIKE the Always Greener Facebook page.

SUBSCRIBE to the Mama Hussy newsletter.

Husserl Family from CHOATE HOUSE on Vimeo.

This video is one of the most meaningful gifts anyone has ever given me! It will forever melt my heart into a puddle of love on the ground! A gazillion thank yous to Kara + Jeremy for capturing my bliss so very perfectly!

I love fall for many reasons! My favorite part is how the temperature summons you outdoors all day, every day. I am inevitably happier throughout fall, with how much time I spend outside! One of my best girls, Claire, insisted on getting some lovelies together at the park for a potluck before the green leaves us. We gladly obliged, and everyone brought delicious things. This was a pretty radass crew of folks that eat a clean diet; Claire from Vidya, Brice, Lindsey + Jamie from Nourished, Kathleen + Jeremy, Ashley + her sweet babe Nora, + Brittany from Plenty. We had an unreal spread of the prettiest food + drinks!! We pigged out + chatted for hours. It was a total treat on this Fall Sunday. Continue reading »

Jillian is one of my dearests! I met her years ago when I was on my solo trek of self-fulfillment. We were both teaching yoga at this adorable yoga studio in the Paseo Arts District in OKC. I was also working at Matthew Kenney + Jillian was living it up, slanging // stocking wine for restaurants. We actually fell in love immediately, and lost touch a bit when our studio closed. A year later, I got pregnant. Jillian was actually one of the first people I told. She was so excited for Papa + me. A few months later, Jillian + Nick got pregnant. When Lennon was 18 months, we moved to Oklahoma City [right down the street from The Woods}. Lennon + Harry go to the same school + are as crazy about each other as us mamas are with one another. We have totally loved raising our boys together. The Woods live a very similar lifestyle to us Hussys, so she is an invaluable resource for me. Jillian is one of my utmost supports in my mama-tribe + I couldn’t live without her. She + her man, Nick are such a beautiful couple, living a healthy + adventurous life with all of their travels. Nick is such a good daddy + Hussy + I love his rad vibe. My favorite thing about Jillian- is she takes such good care of herself. Relentlessly. And I think that is why she is such an incredible mama + wife to her man. I know this mama will inspire you as much as she inspires me!

Continue reading »

Postpartum is such an interesting + incomparable time in life. I love me some newborn phase! With both Lennon + Leo, I have experienced some major bliss! My heart just dances every time I hold my babies + smell their heads. [This hasn't changed with Lennon, and he is three. I still melt every time I hold him close + smell him. hehe.] Even though I am blissed out most hours of my day, I have my struggles! The physical discomforts + lack of sleep some nights can get me feelin’ real cray cray! Continue reading »

It is always such a wild metamorphism from pregnancy to having a newborn. Both baby + mama [+ family] are warped to a very different, new reality. A sweeter one, but it is also a major wipeout. I have definitely gotten cabin fever, waiting on my abdomen to heal. My tummy still feels foreign to me. I haven’t used my abs for months, then I got them sliced n diced during my cesarean. I can finally attempt to flex my abs, but still feel nothing tighten. So weird!! But I am ready to strengthen my abs again, and so thrilled to have the flexibility in my back without a baby in my bod.

I absolutely would not have gotten by without my mom these last two weeks. She kept our fridge stocked with everything delicious + nutritious. She cooked us gourmet meals on the daily. She took Lennon to school, even stayed the night many nights so Lennon would have someone to snuggle if he woke up. I loved having her company, such a treat to spend that time with her in baby heaven! Eternally grateful to her for all the amazing things she does for our family, but the two-week postpartum help is one of my favorite things she does for us [my little brother + me].  Continue reading »