Fifteen Months

My baby boy is growing up so very quickly, and while I love to celebrate his milestones and accomplishments, there's usually a bit of grieving involved in the process as well. It's all so bittersweet. Last week, he officially turned fifteen whole months old! 

He is so sweet, sleeping muuuuch better in his own room (until about 4 or 5, and then he transfers to our bed until about 7), is beginning to stand more independently, and is rather opinionated...and not so shy about sharing his opinions, ha!

He still loves to cuddle with Mama, gives the BEST wide open kisses in the world, has a smile that melts stone, and really enjoys visiting the library and reading all the books. Or maybe scooting around and tackling the ginormous stuffed animals there and yanking dozens of books off the shelves. But who can be certain? It's probably because he's a genius. Of course. ;)

Levi can also put on quite the show to get all the laughs (and all the attention, duh), and he still can stare you down to the point of wearing you down and making you look away- this one makes me laugh the most, actually. Strangers always think they will be the one to get him to crack a smile, but no. They are no match for his poker face antics. ha ha ha

I took these on Saturday morning when we were just lounging around after breakfast and having the best time. They make my heart so happy.

An Interview with 10.5 Year Old Isabelle + Our Backyard Portrait Session

What made you smile the most in fourth grade?

The last day of school

What made you most nervous?

Math

What one thing did you look forward to the most?

Reading Group

What are you looking forward to next year, in the fifth grade? (!!!)

FACTS (modern home-economics class)

If you could spend the whole day doing whatever you wanted, what would you do? (It can be more than one thing.)

Reading, writing, swimming in the pool, spending the day helping out little kids...or something like that  (Seriously? Okay.)

If you could have lunch with anybody in the whole world, alive or deceased, who would it be?

Kate and Claire (friends)

What's your favorite color?

Pink

What's your favorite outfit?

The long dress that you made me, that you tie on the shoulders

What do you wish I would let you wear?

Mini-skirt, I guess (after probing for a few minutes)

What do you think Daddy would say if a boy asked you to be his girlfriend?

NOPE

What would I say?

NO

What super power do you wish you had?

I'm kind of thinking of the powers Elsa has, like ice power things. Oh, water powers!

Which season makes you feel the happiest?

Spring

What thing do you like best about yourself?

I was a pretty fast learner when I took piano [lessons]

What one quality do you look for in a good friend?

Kindness

What one thing that has happened made you feel the most special?

When our family does something fun all together

What's your favorite memory?

**And this is where she got overwhelmed and got mad at me and refused to answer. Go figure.**

Ten and a half years old. I can hardly believe it. She made me a girl Mom, and I loved her from the very first moment I ever laid eyes on her, a blurry image on my computer screen. And we just knew. She was meant for us and we for her.

Fall 2016 Family Portraits

I think all Moms agree: getting pictures done is one of the most nerve-wracking, stress-inducing things of all time. Yesterday was humid and sticky hot (so much for fall, ha!), and sometimes it's kind of annoying to be a girl, if you catch my drift. But we got some good ones, and though I am my own worst critic, finding every.single.flaw in every.single.shot, I know I'll treasure these. I already do. I can't believe they are all mine. Well, ours. You know what I mean. ;)

Levi's Newborn Photos

I'm still over here pinching myself that he is really here, and that he's really mine. We just love him to pieces.

I knew I wouldn't be hiring someone to take photographs of him as a newborn so I scoured the internet looking for images that I liked so I could try to get some myself. So many details to capture, I love each and every one! Truth be told, I really reeeaaallly wanted a swaddle newborn picture, but Levi didn't like to be swaddled very much, and every time I attempted, it was slightly disastrous. :)

I also really wanted one with me, and the fact that I didn't get it nearly breaks my heart. I have lots to treasure for sure, but those ones we dream of are the ones we seem to miss the most.

Here is our sweet baby boy:

Levi, Nine Days Old

Attempting to prep for swaddle pic, exhibit #1

No likey

Ten Days Old

Two Weeks Old

At two weeks, we weren't having it
At all

 Twenty Days Old

One Month

Levi's birth story is HERE
Other newborn pics are HERE

I'm writing this on February 1st in an attempt to capture those moments. Time is so fleeting. Oh how I miss those brand new days together.

Maternity Photo Session...Using a Selfie Stick (and the Hubs)

I never had maternity pictures taken when I was expecting the first three boys...many years ago.  :/ It became one of those wish list kind of things for me to do during this pregnancy, and I figured I'd have a friend take some or hire a local photographer. And then suddenly we were planning our trip to Florida and the idea to take them there just sort of took over. I knew I'd have to rely on myself, maybe with a timer, and my husband to take the photos. I bought two dresses, dreamed of sunshine and warm breezes, and hoped for the best.

And I'm thrilled that I have some photos that I truly like, ones that capture so much of what I've been feeling. I'm not one who particularly enjoys being in front of the camera, so this seems like nothing short of a miracle. I'll start with the ones that I took using a regular ol' selfie stick, which I had just gotten as a joke the day before, ha ha. I'm truly surprised by some of the images I was able to get...you should try, too!

Destin, Florida

34 weeks 

 

My advice for trying self-portraits with "the stick" is this: take LOTS of pictures! Try millions of angles and then try some more. Even if you only love a handful of photos, like I did, it will be worth it to have those few special ones. (And I use Pic Monkey, upgraded, to edit- their basic service is absolutely free!)

You'll also want to pay attention to any shadows that the seflie stick creates. Several photos looked pretty good but were ruined odd stick shadows trailing across my face or neck. (Check your background, too! I liked some other photos but there was an ugly porch floating above my head. If I had noticed, I could've easily moved to one side to avoid that. There may also be random people- okay, family members- playing games in the backyard, and while you love that, you don't want them to be your background.)

 Note that I didn't edit this one; if I had, I would definitely adjust the angle to make everything more upright, which brings me to the next tip...

This is unedited also, but no amount of rotating the image could ever justify the strange angles of the porch columns, the railings behind me, etc. These are the things that can truly make or break a photograph. It may take a few (hundred!) tries before you get the hang of holding the stick just the way you want it, but it's worth it. Promise.

These were taken the day after the tornado that zipped through Pensacola, so the wind was a downright nuisance at times. However, when looking through all the pics, I discovered that that annoying wind blew my hi-lo dress just right and made it look much more flattering than when it simply hung there, basically like a ginormous floral tent. Thanks, wind.

Here are some that my patient husband took:

(Helpful Tip # Whatever: you may want to avoid dead grass as a background as well. ha ha)

They aren't perfect- me, either (do you see those icky swollen legs, feet, wrists and hands?!?!), so it's all good.  =)