Merry Christmas Everyone!

"Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"
(The Jamaican Version)

Breadfruits roasting on an open fire
Mongrels nipping at your toes
Dancehall songs, being sung by a choir
'An we dress up in we bashment clothes

Everybody knows,
When gungo cook an sorrel flow
Yu dun know seh season brite
Gal an bwoy wid them starlight a glow
Dem nah go waan fe sleep tonite

Dem know seh joyride deh pon the way
With music, rockin' rockin thru de day
'An all the chicken dem a try fi spy
Fi see is which one a dem is gwine to fry

'An so, we want to big up everyone
All kidz from one to 92
Althou money dun
Have 'hole heap a fun

Irie Chrismus, Irie Chrismus . to you.

Malaika is 6-Months Old

Our little girl is growing up so fast. Everyday I am a little more surprised at how quickly babies learn. I have a friend that would always be looking forward at her children's next move...crawling, walking, talking, preschool etc. etc. As much as I appreciate my friends wisdom, I don't want to rush these exciting moments that only happen once. We have had such a wonderful time as parents watching every new move, experiencing every new food, listening to every new noise etc. etc. I slow myself down when I begin to anticipate the next step and try to remind myself that each milestone should be cherished.

Malaika is now 6-months and 4 days old. She weighs 17lbs 14.5oz, her height is 27.5" and her head circumfrence is 44.5cm. She is currently 90th percentile for weight and height and as her doctor says "Malaika is doing very well". She has added sweet potatoes to her menu, next up - bananas.

Food Glorious Food...

I'll have some peas please

Malaika will turn 6-months old on Thursday Nov. 22nd. She just started to have solids and is loving every bit of it. We honestly didn't expect anything else but pure enjoyment. She had rice cereal first and although she enjoyed eating it we found it didn't really agree with her. So we decided to dive directly into the big stuff, forget cereals we went for peas. She loved them, they loved her and so we're off. Next on the plate will be sweet potatoes, then avocado and then some pears. She tries a new food every 4 days. As you can see from the photos I don't think we have much to worry about.

Our Little Pony

Red Sox Win World Series

It's a great year for Boston fans. The Red Sox have won the world series for the second time in 4 years. The New England Patriots are on a winning streak at 7-0 and Boston College is #2 in the nation. Hurray for Bean Town!

I Know, This Is Who You All Want To See

Malaika is in there...somewhere

Click on more pictures here

Our little one turns 5-months old tomorrow. She's found her feet and everything else that's close to her. Not rolling over as yet but making every attempt to do so. She's still sleeping through the night (8-10 hours) and eating really well. As her daddy says, "She sleeps like her mummy and eats like her daddy". She's not yet on solids but has tasted/licked many fruits and vegetables. Yesterday we took our future little athlete to her first college volleyball match, she really seemed to like it and the cheers didn't seem to bother her.

RMSP: Student Focus

This past July I was e-mailed by the Rocky Mountain School of Photography publication department asking me to share my experiences with the school and to show some of my work in a part of their catalog called Student Focus. I was honoured because every year I receive this catalog I read it from cover to cover. What was I going to say that would inspire people the way so many have inspired me.

It was a busy time, Malaika was only 2 months old and I was in the process of putting on the final touches for a family reunion in Jamaica. They needed it yesterday. I could have said no, but this was something I really wanted to do. It's not my best piece of writing but here it is with to two photographs that were chosen.

Starfish - Seattle Sea Aquarium

2008 Rocky Mountain School of Photography Catalog
Phillipa Dugaw, WA

Since the age of 15 I’ve wanted to call myself a professional photographer, 19 years later I made the decision to pursue that dream but first I needed to answer two questions; was I talented enough? And where would I study?

I knew I didn’t want to go back to a university setting and have to take the art of drawing along with statistics. It was important to me that I found a place that would focus strictly on the art of photography. In 2006 I found RMSP. After receiving the packet in the mail, I wanted to sign up immediately for the Summer Intensive course but it wasn’t to happen at that time. So, I took back to back workshops; the Beginners Photography with Susanna Gaunt and Intermediate Photography with Elizabeth Stone. These are two amazing women that are not only talented photographers but brilliant instructors. When I found out they would both be teaching the Advanced workshop in Seattle, I signed up immediately. I have learnt more from them in three weeks than I have doing workshops over the last 19 years. These workshops have changed my life because I can now call myself a professional and I will continue to come back for more.

Church Pews, MT

Salut

Pretty in Pink

O, Oh

This is what happens to you when you're in a three car pile up. I was in the back and suffered the most amount of damage, actually all of the damage - to car and pocket. Malaika was NOT in the car with me, thank God, and believe it or not the thing still moves.

Tim gets a new car this year so we are hoping to buy his Volvo, fix this baby up and sell it.

100 Day Project: Day 87-100

Final days of our project

It's all over, 100 days of taking Malaika's picture is no more. People keep on asking me if I will continue taking pictures...what do you think?

I had big plans for this project I really wanted to get creative with the shots that I took. Although that did not happen, it did remind me to pick up my camera everyday and it also made me realize how much I enjoy taking pictures of little people.

Malaika went in for her 4-month check up (she turns 4-months old next week). She's 15lbs 3.8oz, 25" long and her head circumfrence is 42.3cm. That means that she's 90th percentile for her weight and between 50th and 75th for her height.

Fun Trip to Jamaica

We had a blast and we've realized that our trips to Jamaica never seem to get old. We spent our first couple of nights in Kingston and then moved onto Negril for a fun 4 days of jumping the cliffs, parasailing, Malaika having her first dip in the Caribbean Sea and just having good clean fun with family.

We then continued onto Ocho Rios for a family reunion that was cut short by Hurricane Dean. However, this did not spoil our fun as we enjoyed spending time with everyone in Kingston - very few of us got off the island before the hurricane hit. Our week ended with Daniel's 9th birhtday party. (Click on the highlights to see more pictures).

100 Day Project: Day 72-86

Click here for more pictures

Malaika turned 3-months old in Jamaica. She had so many first time experiences. Her first time on a plane, her first time to Jamaica, her first time in the Caribbean Sea, her first dance with her daddy, her first time in a hurricane...

100 Day Project: Day 62-71

My Jamaica Outfit

Here are a few pictures to enjoy until we get back

1st Plane Ride

I know it's been all about Malaika for my last 6 posts but that's really what my life has been like since May 22nd. Plus I just can't help myself, I love to talk about her and show pictures of her.

Well, we're heading to Jamaica for two weeks. Malaika's first plane ride. We arrive on Saturday (11th) morning at 11:30am. I will get my hair cut at 2pm while Tim and Malaika are meeting up with all of her cousins (they can't wait to see her). On Sunday Tim's neice and her boyfriend will join us in Kingston and on Monday (13th) we will head to Negril, staying at one of our favourite spots - Catcha Falling Star. We depart Negril on Friday (17th) and head to Ocho Rios for a family reunion. Claire and Sean leave us on Monday (20th) and we will go to Kingston until we depart of Friday (24th).

It's a busy but really fun time with family and friends and I cannot wait to tell you all about our trip when we get back.

100 Day Project: Day 46-61

Check out Day 46 - 61

The last two weeks have been alot of fun. Malaika is smiling and chatting so much more. She's also holding her head up alot more as she meets many of her aunts, uncles and cousins on the Dugaw side.

100 Day Project: Day 31-45

I want my mummy!

Malaika is two months old and growing like a weed. She is currently 12lbs 3.2oz and 22.5" long. She's eating like her daddy and sleeping like her mummy. We've enjoyed getting to know our little one and look forward to many of you meeting her someday.

Check out day 31-45.

100 Day Project: Day 18-30

Malaika will be 6-weeks old on Tuesday.

Enjoy Day 18-30 by clicking here

100 Day Project: Day 1-17

Check out pictures from the first 17 days.

100 Day Project

As of June 1st I have decided to do a 100 day project that requires me to take a photograph of one subject for that period of time. This is not an easy project to accomplish, I have many friends that have attempted to do it and they usually give up by around day 40. Projects that I have heard of people doing are they take photographs of the colour white, flowers or maybe just a paperclip in random places.

My 100 day project will end on September 8th and my subject is Malaika, my daughter. I have choosen an easy subject, it's one that I love dearly, she's not going anywhere and how much fun is it to see how much she will change in those 100 days.

I will NOT be posting pictures everyday, however you will get 10-15 day bundles to view.

Malaika Quinn - 100 Day Project

It's a Girl

Malaika Quinn

May 22nd, 2007 at 10:00pm

Seattle, WA.

8lbs 14oz, 19 3/4" long