Miscellany Flix
2010 Mish Mash
Posted on July 26, 2011
In the crazy week before Eliza’s first birthday we decided to re-landscape our entire yard (tearing everything up and starting from scratch), plus I had an insane moment where I thought it would be a grand idea to have a big ‘ol garden party for her. It was pure chaos here this past week, and more than once I questioned my sanity for doing any of it in the first place.
With so much planning and preparation over the last couple months what do you think my favorite part of the “big” day was? The eating of the birthday cupcake (which I made on the spot just for her with fresh mama’s milk, just like Addie had at her first birthday) … or the gathering of friends and family to sing Happy Birthday … or watching all the kiddos playing and going wild together … ?? NOPE. None of those things, although all very special, really melted my heart or will stand out as something to truly remember on that day.
But the morning and afternoon before the party actually started will. Hanging out with the girls in the garden, both of them covered from head to toe with black compost and dirt (including Miss Eliza’s teeth from her taste testing adventures) … having my mama with me planting up all my garden pots and beds with delicious perennials and feeling the warm earth in my hands (my love of gardening started with my mom) … and then taking a bath with both girls in a tub that quickly turned black from all our dirt, the tiny bathroom ringing with giggles and squeals of delight as we played. Then, after Addie got out to go play some more, Eliza having a very snuggly nurse in the tub, quickly drifting off to sleep while her little toes dipped into the water and her hands played in my hair (she must have mommy’s hair to stroke as she nurses, falls asleep, snuggles for comfort). I lifted us both up out of the tub, managing to keep her asleep while I wiggled into my skirt and then wrapped a towel around both of us. I simply could not bear parting from her and love feeling her sweet little baby body snuggled up against me. And so, I walked around cutting flowers, hanging pom poms, slicing strawberries … and cherished the skin to skin time while she napped for the next two hours snuggled close to my heart, skin to skin (and, yep, my back was a killin’ me at the end of those two hours). These are the everyday moments that mean the world to me and are what make life so special and wondrous. And make me so happy to be a mommy.
LOTS of photos of the actual shindig to come as soon as I recuperate from the chaos that has been our life that last week or so! 
Posted on July 18, 2011
The last thing our girls are is prissy or afraid to get dirty. Miss Eliza is frequently seen shoving dirt in her mouth (we like to think it’s building her immune system up, lol) and Adeline seems to think that the person with the blackest feet at the end of a fun play day gets the biggest award (and she may be right as that person is often the one who enjoyed themselves to the fullest amount possible). Eliza June meets the tub of black paint story coming up soon!! Just sharing a few snapshots of our girls hanging around getting dirty. And a few close up’s of those sweet little baby legs that I adore so much!!
Eliza’s birthday is tomorrow … technically today since it’s after midnight. But I’m trying not to think about it too deeply right now beyond snuggling her up and breathing in her baby scent as I nurse her and sing her back to sleep in the night. I try to carefully position myself around her so I don’t disturb her precious little sleeping body. I haven’t slept in a truly comfortable position in six years so I can make sure these girls sleep well and good, and so I can treasure being able to share kisses, middle of the night snuggles and whispers, and nurse them back to dreamland without them having to even open their eyes. She wakes repeatedly in the night, just as her big sister did for four and a half years … her entire being reaching out for mommy’s love and warm milk, latching on and letting pure contentment and feelings of love and peace wash over both of us. I wouldn’t trade this time for the world.
Sometimes, when I’m feeling especially sleep deprived, and it’s one of those nights when Eliza has been waking every 15 minutes all night long with marathon nursing sessions, I’ll start to get frustrated and think, “Please, go to sleep my baby, please!! Mommy is too tired!” And then it hits me again how fleeting this time is and how in several years, heck, maybe several months, I’ll look back at these nights and miss them dearly. Eliza still sleeps on top of me for half of the night, even at one (gulp, there, I said it – ONE). And I *love* it and know she’ll be done with that soon. She’s already off and pushing down to go play much of the day, not content to just sit and snuggle in mommy’s lap as she did just a couple months ago – there are way too many things to explore, she is such a busy girl. And so, these nights I’m cherishing and imprinting upon my heart.
My heart is full to bursting with love, but a little heavy with the fear of this precious time in her life passing all too quickly. So, for now I shall just brush my lips against her sweet angel hair and cherish the weight of her sleeping on me. I’ll write more tomorrow if my heart will let me without getting too emotional and over thinking things too much.
Notice the smeared mud where she wiped her dirty little hands …
And this has to be one of my favorite photos from the past few months. That adorable expression is so her … and the way she has her little arms pulled back! She does that scrunched up little face as she walks towards me as fast as she can, little arms held behind her (I like to think she’s making herself more aerodynamic), and throwing herself against me when she gets to me. This look in particular was just for daddy though (who was zooming by on the little Razor scooter with Addie close behind).
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Posted on July 14, 2011
A different kind of evening walk. After visiting my dad (who happens to live too far in the country for our likes, but has the benefit of passing through beautiful spots to play and take photos), we saw some gorgeous sun light washing over these fields filled with wildflowers and I knew we had to stop for some photos. I rarely go anywhere without my camera bag, always have the tripod in the car and just happened to be wearing decent clothes (who cares that I hadn’t even brushed my hair that morning, and had been wearing those clothes for two days in a row??). I absolutely adore all the shots I have of me nursing my girl. I even have a little photo album I created of me and Addie, called We Love to Nurse … nursing everywhere from airplanes to sitting inside a wagon on the sidewalk (because we couldn’t even get to the park two blocks away most days without needing to have a little mommy snuggles and nursies time). <3 And, yes, Scott was there too but didn't get in many of the photos for once ... some shots of me and the girls were taken with the tripod and remote, some were my "voice command walking tripod." I get all the settings right, point the camera in exactly the right spot for the composition I want and then yell, "Do NOT move and do NOT touch any of my settings ..." Then get into place and yell, "Okay, now!" LOL!
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Posted on July 11, 2011
I just wanted to share one lone photo today because I have a million photo sessions piling up to be edited and such fun stuff to share, but I’m exhausted beyond words. It’s 8:30am and I am still UP … yes, I worked all night long because I had a new product release this morning and have been working like this for the past week or two getting things finished. Scott stayed up with me for much of the night and the poor girls are camped out on top of us – Eliza in my lap all night here in the chair and Miss Addie is curled up in Scott’s lap on the sofa. LOL!
When I commented to a friend last night that we are rotten parents, he replied, “I think unique is a better word than rotten. Our kids know that we’re a bit different than most parents in a good way…..normality can be so boring…blah.” Love it!!
Now I am just praying all this abuse to my body with the no sleep doesn’t kick my POTS into high gear. Promising to take better care! Alright, leaving you with a photo of my getting way too BIG girl …
Posted on July 7, 2011
So, we are admittedly a little behind in teaching Adeline to ride a bike. She’s still in training wheels as the neighbor kids whiz around her, but she’s so confident in herself that she doesn’t give a hoot. She has gotten so speedy that we think it’s just about time to get her a bike where her knees don’t hit the handlebar and we can finally lose the training wheels. A little bitter sweet seeing my baby so darn grown up … all long legs, fiery energy and little {big} girl spark – not even a remnant of that sweet little toddler chub left.
Rest assured, this was shot was done safely (see here for the behind the scene shots) …
And a few of the Junebug. It is pure joy watching her discover her big world. The other day we found a little rainbow on the floor in the studio that resulted from the sunlight pouring in through the glass in the front door. Eliza and I sat there for over 30 minutes “playing” with the light and colors … she would put her hand in the light, watching with delight as the colors appeared on her hand. She would snatch her hand away, look at it for evidence of the colors she just saw there and then put it back in and giggle with amazement when the rainbow showed back up on her little chubby hand. Then she explored how the color would appear on whatever object she placed underneath it … when our wiener dog walked in front of the light and turned rainbow colors she really got a kick of that. It’s just so stinkin’ cool how something I normally wouldn’t have even gave a second glance turned into this amazing exploration time for her. Seeing everything through our little one’s eyes is one of the most amazing experiences that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
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