connor and paige, take too

as in, too quickly do the months pass us by as I could hardly believe that this was the same teeny tiny connor whose birth announcement images I photographed just this past january. not even a year had gone by. but then I realized, nor do I longer look down to a giant ten pound bump (okay so realistically it was more like forty five pounds, but somehow my son wasn't *quite* that big so I just don't know about that...) now I look down to my little man rockin away in his bouncy at my feet...and so there you have it. change is inevitable. but it is good.

the adorable connor will be one at the end of december. he has adorable-ly squishy cheeks and eyes that can speak monologues with one small blink. and then of course there is the absolutely sweet and beautiful paige. with THE blondest most sweetest hair and dimples, she can leave you in a heap of mush at her feet with one glance. these crazy cute siblings did just that to me. I couldn't get enough of their images....just a taste to give you an idea of the ridiculous amount of oohing and aahing that poured from me one sunny late morning we spent together admist the weakened frost and quiet trees.


the one that emitted the most oohing and aahing from me....

really. that cute.

little man connor himself....

the boy knows his GQ poses already..




and lil miss sweet thing, paige....

the most *perfect* sweet laugh and dimple combination ever.

did I mention how much I am adoring perfectly round lil bald headed babies? they are the happiest little people ever. I think they know something we don't....

just another day in the life of a GQ baby....

there is just something about a sister's love for her brother that really makes the oohs and aahs exude from me in high pitched tones every time. love it.

and chubby lil cheekers? my word, it is just too much, really.

finally, Junior and his babies.

if only we could all live life outloud with our tongues hanging out in sheer glee. every day.

now THAT would really be something to be grateful about.

weather elements and a little carlie

sudden outbursts of chilled wind. stretchy rays of sun seeking ground cover amongst the shadows of empty trees. leftover cold, wet sand toys forgotten but not unseen by little eyes. oh, and a trapeze high flying blue plastic swing that has a lot of explainin' to do.
ah, winter, you are on your way. but not before the former baby stunt double of suri cruise taunts your attempts to keep playing as strictly an indoor activity.


carlie frances. two years of echoing giggles, wide eyed smiles, jiving dance moves, and a sheer zest for the simple things in life.


I love this girl. she makes my heart smile.
and I love this image. it might just be my favorite ever.



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and this one.

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and this one, and, well, you get the idea. the girl is crazy adorable. she just can't help it.

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hi. I'm cute.

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um, love it.

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yo gabba gabba dance moves. what can I say, we both think DJ Lance is the whip.

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I love that her wild, little spirit exudes from her in every image.


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hello adorable cheeks and ears.

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take one on the trapeze blue flying swing. that has a lot of explainin' to do (see: what happens when a high flying moving trapeze blue plastic swing smacks you at just the right angle. under your eye. never walk under a moving object. I'm so sorry that happened little squeeby!) but carlie is tough. she WAS suri's stunt double after all...

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did I mention I love this girl?

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I don't see how you could not.

soon to come...a holiday giveaway in the spirit of being grateful for all I have. very soon.

santa, baby

really. how could you NOT smile if you ran down the stairs in anticipation to see what santa had left under your tree and this little cutie was waiting to share Christmas morning with you? and lets face it, that time of year is going to be here with our next blink. and little maddie is oh so ready for her first one...and did I mention this might be my favorite image EVER? yes, we are back to that again...




seriously. I know. crazy cute. and a petite little thing at four months old (I told you, we are rocking out with the 4, 7, 10, 12 plan over here....it is SO the cool thing to do.) oh yeah, and a little ladybug appearance just for fun..

the most fabulous and cutest santa's helpers ever.



and what shoot would be complete without a big flower on your head? really.







it was windy. and that may be an understatement. but maddie could have cared less...




oh really?

yes. really.
I absolutely love this image.

oh how I love the aura of pure joy and love that surround this family...

and to the shoot that almost did NOT happen? thank you. we sure made a mockery out of you.

grateful

grateful to be home after spending the warmest days of fall looking into the parking lot from a 9th story hospital window, wishing we were being reassured by the warmth of the sun instead of an oxygen monitor.

grateful that my little ethan is peacefully sleeping in his bouncy seat strategically placed next to my foot so I can stare at him every other second instead of being in a lethargic state of awareness on a makeshift hospital bed with my head strategically placed next to his foot and my finger grasped by his hand in case he made any sort of movement so I would know.


grateful for a mother who arouses in the middle of the night to accompany you on one of the most scariest trips ever with NO questions asked. and then takes care of your other two children for the next 36 hours so you can travel without socks and stinky breath to get the best medical care ever. that makes it so worth it. even if you still feel the need to request that your husband brings you your makeup bag (along with some comfy socks) the next day just so a few hours of sleep in a few days can manage to look a little more appealing. you are grateful. trust me.


and grateful to have just happened to have read mckmama's post "I feel so lonesome I could cry" the night before so that when you are staring at the lights of the city with just your baby in your arms and no one else to talk to to tell you everything is going to be okay, you remember things could be so much worse. but they aren't.


but more than anything, I am so grateful that my little bubba is a healthy 13 pounds at 6 weeks old so he was strong enough to fight off any infection that came his way and didn't even have to be hooked to an IV because the boy, well, he knows how to eat.

thank you, thank you to everyone that was praying for him and thinking of him and wishing him a fast recovery. (and if you did not know, that is why I am sharing this with you now, and perhaps you can keep him in your thoughts as he recovers)

and I am so thankful for the amazing care at Devos Children's hospital (even the care they give to a breastfeeding mama...hello chocolate cake. and an electric breast pump. jeah.) because when your tiny baby (and yes he is still tiny to me) has a wicked high fever and trouble breathing and ends up in the ER in the middle of the night and they tell you they want to take him by ambulance to another hospital? well all you can do is be thankful that he was healthy enough to begin with so he can be strong through all of the poking and pricking and x-rays (which also meant we could drive ourselves instead without having to have the IV). because you know you are going to end up with the best medical care possible as you drive through the fog in disbelief that it is not just all a bad dream. and that is even more reassuring than the sun beginning to rise.


grateful. it has a whole new meaning for me.





I've got a tough little guy on my hands. and a lot of good people that surround him.
and I am grateful for that.

wild things

I realize Halloween was *techinically* last week but I feel as though these images are appropriate for my children ANY day of the week...

my wild little monkey...


my fiesty little red hot chili pepper...




my sassy and entirely adorable kitty..





my kids.
every day is a jungle adventure.