one year later...

as i watched both immersed in the "ritual" and off to one side as an observer...ashley displayed her pride at th marking of her son's first birthday. i saw his tentative steps as he walked shakily around the room...and felt the trepidation of the young mother as she talked about what next year would be like a her soon-to-be-born son lucas would celebrate this same milestone. she took pictures of everyone in the room...including the sorry looking "honey bear" that was supposed to look like pooh...

as the world turns..

i have been trying to get my thoughts together for the final two sections...and it isn't easy to see how it will all come together, but come together it must. I have seen a new side to these two young girls this semester as i worked with them on this project. i have had to try and both take myself out of the equation, and understand y place in the process at the same time. I hope that i have accomplished that goal. -

in the pink (or should i say green?)

ashley is waiting on the baby's birth...and the birth of her new nbaby brother since her mom is due the week after she is...and jessy is battling the teenage demons...it seems that an ex-boyfriend has stolen her password and hacked into her myspace site. she had to go through a lot to get the myspace fixed! that's about it for now!

ritual in action...

spent the afternoon at ashley's baby shower...saw how everyone around her acted and just hung back and watched...i needed to see her in a way i wasn't used to...to look at her from the outside objectively and not like family...i took notes after and took lots of pictures during...

lunch with ashley

ashley stopped by to talk to me on her lunch break on saturday. we talked about her pregnancy, her boyfiend and his lack of job, her job, and her lack of personal space at home. she is having a hard time picturing squeezing the new baby into her room at her dad's place, so she is talking about getting a place of her own. she both wants and needs a little privacy. her other younger brother is moving back home in april, and with the already crowded conditions she is worried about how they will all avoid bumping into each other constantly. her lack of a place is her issue. her baby is due in about 35 days...excitement mounts at the prospect of going into labor for the second time. her mother passed out at the birth of her other son due to stress last year...so we were joking about that as well...as she pulled out ofmy driveway in her turquoise pontiac sunfire i couldn't help but worry about her and her future...