When I wasn’t looking, my little tiny 6 lb. 14 oz. baby boy grew into a preschooler who weighs somewhere around 40 lbs.

When I wasn’t looking my bald little baby grew enough hair that he just got a summertime ‘boys regular’ haircut.

When I wasn’t looking, my giggly, drooling, toothless six month old grew into a lean, strong, healthy little boy.

When I wasn’t looking, my little baby who’s hand could barely wrap around one of my fingers, now walks with me hand in hand.

When I wasn’t looking, my snuggley nursing little blessing who thrived with just the milk I gave him for almost a year grew big and tall enough to get his own drinks and snacks.

When I wasn’t looking, my sweet baby boy grew into an amazing big brother and best friend.

When I wasn’t looking, my heart grew with more memories and love than I could have ever dreamed… and I am grateful.
Jackson David,

It is the eve before your 4th birthday.  At this time four years ago, I was pacing around our two bedroom apartment wondering if I was in labor. Wondering if this was ‘really it!’ Wondering if I was going to make it through what everyone says is the most amazing (and difficult!) experience of your life. I sat in the rocking chair we got for you wondering what you would look like. I folded the last few outfits we washed so everything would be ready, I looked around your room with your name on the wall and wondered if we were ready. My labor got worse and by morning we finally headed to the hospital. After a long day, you finally made your appearance at 11:50pm and it was beyond magical.  I will never forget the moment they placed you in my arms – the way you looked up at me – the way I fell in love with you in an instant. I relive that moment in my head quite often because it was so powerful.  It was the day you gave me the most incredible gift; you made me a Mommy.  I remember holding you with tears in my eyes thinking how grateful I was that you picked me. That I was the blessed one to have you as my son.  What an honor.

I remember holding you after you had your first bath and we were settled in our room that night. You were what I had dreamed about my entire life. I studied every inch of you. Your tiny little hands, your wrinkled little feet. Your perfect little mouth. You were my perfect.  We sat in the hospital bed together, I had you on my lap propped up against my thighs facing me.  It was somewhere around 4am and you were only a few hours old.  I sang you ‘You are my sunshine,’ and you fell asleep.  I meant every word of it. You melted my heart that day and from every day since then you have given me so much more than I could every tell you. Maybe that is why I sing ‘You are my sunshine’ to you everyday…

I have watched you grow from such a pudgy, rolly-polly baby to a healthy, smart, witty little boy.  You wear your heart on your sleeve and you have so much compassion.  You are very soft souled and you have a heart full of love and wonder.  The questions you ask are amazing. The stories you tell are hysterical. The wonder in your eyes is hopeful. You are a gift.

I can’t believe you are already four years old. Thank you for giving me four of the greatest years of my life. Thank you for sharing your soul with our family. You are an amazing brother to Molly, a great playmate to all your friends, and an incredible son to Daddy and I.  I can’t wait to see what you will teach me in the next year and all the years after that. You fill me up. You truly amaze me everyday.

Happy 4th birthday little man!

I love you with all my heart and soul,
Mommy.

Yep, we’re a day late. I know. Happens to be how the workdays fell this week.  Now let’s get to it!
1. How is it February?  For real, I can’t believe its already February.  How did that happen so fast? I suppose I should get working on Jacksons Valentine’s day cards, eh? I hate when I forget about those… I feel like I do them last minute every year!.. hmm..

2. I am in love with how Mollly’s little personality is blossoming into such a character!  She is really starting to make things clear on what she likes, what she thinks is funny, and what she doesn’t like.  Oh lord, we could have a problem in about 12 years.

3.  Jackson has been loving having some special Daddy/Jackson days. I love hearing them giggle and play from the room over – or even have Jackson tell me his favorite part of the day was playing with daddy.  Metls my heart.  I have a good man – our kids have an amazing father.

4. I need to get my camera serviced.  I’m a little scared to let my baby go somewhere too far out of my hands but I am having shutter release problems – focus issues and i’m getting crazy lines through my images.  Yes, not good.  Photographer friends, do you have any suggestions besides sending it to Canon?  Maybe I’ll rent the 5D Mark II while its away getting fixed to play… It sure is purty .. I saw Ms. Erin’s last week.

5.  Still totally excited about the Gym.  Crazy, right?  I need to actually set up a training session but I am happy to report I’ve been really enjoying that time for me.  I never knew I could love the gym – let alone feel upset when I don’t get there.  Yes, this is the girl that HATED running. Huh..

6.  I am really excited for how much work I’m getting done on our new schedules but I sure am missing our playdates.  Hopefully next week we’ll be able to change somethings around a bit — the kiddos are asking for their friends and I’m asking for my coworkers

7.  Playmobil.  Jackson’s new obsession.  He got this for Christmas as it was the only thing he wanted.  He spends houuuursss playing!  It really is a wonderful imaginative toy and he loves to tell stories about it.  Mimi got jackson a few of the rooms that you can get to outfit the house.  If you have a toddler/preschooler I totally recommend them.  They even have a smaller version for the little tikes like Molly — Playmobil 123.  Be warned — the regular playmobil does have a LOT of VERY small pieces so you have to be careful around the wee little ones.. Hence why Molly got her own Playmobil 123.

8.  Super excited to be having dinner tonight with our good friends.  I have to say this new year has really been wonderful reconnecting and actually GETTING OUT with our friends.  Perhaps its because the kids are a little older, or perhaps we’re just making it a priority but it’s so very true.  You need to maintain a little bit of your own life – socially and emotionally – outside of the Crazies ..er. kids.

9. Hello Lost.  You make my head spin I don’t know WHAT just happened last night.

10.  Twitter.  Do you follow me? Clients –  I’m going to announce a 24 hour promotion so hurry – get on there — ADD ME!

Whew… made it

I had the pleasure of meeting sweet Erin Cobb last week.  She has been such an inspiration to me as I began building my business and at the risk of sounding dramatic, she is a big reason why I am blessed to be where I am today.  Do you ever feel like somehow things are so connected its hard to get your head around how it all worked out!? That’s how I feel about how lucky I am to have the greatest job in the world..  It all started about 3 years ago..

Jackson was a newborn and I had started snapping crazy amounts of photographs of him.  I didn’t want to miss anything.  I didn’t want to forget anything. I knew with every passing day he was one day older, one day bigger, one day away from this newborn little precious miracle I loved more then myself from the second I knew he was going to be my son.  I knew in a blink he was going to be graduating! Although photography had always been a passion of mine, I never had any ‘formal’ training.  I played with my camera, tried different things, tried to figure out but mostly didn’t really know what I was doing.  When I was getting married, I did a lot of research on ‘The Knot.’  I was kicked over to ‘The Nest,’ after I had Jackson and there were some women there that were in my exact same position! They loved taking photographs of their children and they were learning about their cameras and how to get the photographs we’d all fallen in love with online from other great photographers.  Those women started a message board and before I knew it we had so many members who enjoyed the love of photography and many of them had young kids at home so it was an instant bond!  It was there that I became to ‘know’ Lyndsay.  We have never met, and I’m not sure she will ever know how grateful I am for her gifts she doesn’t even know she’s given me, but I know. And I am forever in debt to her.

She made a post one day about a friend of hers, Erin Cobb, whose daughter was in the running for the Gap Casting Call.  Sarah (Pigbear as she is nicknamed!) needed votes to win so Lyndsay posted the link to Erin’s blog and of course on Erin’s blog you could click to vote for Sarah!  It was that day that I added Erin to my favorites and have been following her ever since.  I started reading about her and her adorable little family and I felt like if she lived near me, we’d totally hang out!  That’s the amazing thing about blogs, isn’t it?  We feel connected and friendships for people that we may really have never met – how incredible.   It was about that time that Rick and I began seriously considering photography as a business.  I had been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of praying about it.  I had just finished my Masters in Elementary Education and received my license to teach, but Jackson was a newborn and I was nannying at the time.  I needed to work but with the great family I worked for, he could come with me and I could still work and watch him grow up – again, a huge blessing.  Should I go back to teaching just because I could? Should I try to start a business following my passion? Who knew which was the ‘right’ answer?  We discussed it, a lot.

One night after Jackson went to bed I was reading Erin’s blog and she had posted about her friend Wendy Schulz.  Wendy had mentored Erin and took her under her wing to teach her about her photography and help her grow into what she wanted to be.  After I read Erin’s post, I immediately went to Wendy’s blog and saw that she started offering an online workshop – to do the same thing!  SOLD.  I talked it over with Rick and we decide this was it.  Let’s give this a shot.

So I signed up for Wendy’s class and without a doubt, SHE is the reason I am where I am.  She gave me challenges and feedback that has taught me about myself, about my camera, about my craft.  She is amazing. She is inspiring, and boy is she hysterical!  I have since sent Wendy a few of my friends and even my cousin Jake took her online course.  I’m sure her waiting list is long, but if you want to know about photography from one of the greatest teachers, SIGN UP. You won’t regret it.

So lets recap.  Lyndsay ‘introduced’ me to Erin. Erin ‘introduced’ me to Wendy, and Wendy is what gave my business the foundation  to become a business.  Well, this past week Erin was visiting her friends in Boston and asked if any Bostonians would like to come out to get together — It was about a second of  before I responded – ME ME ME! Remember, we were friends in my head already! Ha..

So luckily, Rick was sweet enough to come home after a long day of work and let me take off to Starbucks to meet Erin, finally!  In typical Boston fashion, there was traffic so of course I was late but nevertheless, I made it and guess what…  She was JUST as sweet, if not more, in person!  Just like I knew she would be!  She jumped right up and gave me a hug and we all started laughing right away – like we were all old friends.  Just the way it should be with someone who has helped shape your life, right!?

Ellen and Diana are from Boston and also follow Erin’s blog so it was nice to make new friends too -  Samantha and Erin have been friends for a long time and the 5 of us had a great visit together just chatting it up!  The time passed too quickly of course, but hopefully the next visit Erin makes to Boston we’ll have some more time to catch up!

Totally ‘borrowed’ from Erin — You can see her thoughts from our meet up here:

(l->r) Ellen - Erin - Diana -Yours Truly - Samantha!

So Lyndsay, Thank you for posting Erin’s link.  Erin thank you for posting Wendy’s link and Wendy, thank you for making me jump when I wasn’t sure their was a net under me.  Turns out I didn’t need it anyways thanks to you.. For that, for all of you, I am grateful

We are grateful.

Much love.

Thankfully,

My heart is breaking right now for the sweetest family.  Remember this family:

The cutest, happiest, most delightful family.  I just spoke with another favorite client (friend), Erin, who informed me that sweet Charlotte has just been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia..

On a positive note, we are blessed to live 30 minutes from some of the best hospitals in the world here in Boston.  Charlotte is in Boston now beginning her treatments and will hopefully begin the road to recovery.    For those of you who are the praying type, please keep her and her family in your prayers.  Her sweet spirit, her precious smile, and her adorable heart needs it.

If you’d like to keep up on Charlotte’s progress you can follow here her:

Charlotte’s Caring Bridge Page

Charlotte – I’ll be looking forward to our next tea-party!  Get better love! xxoo

Ted and Constance.  Our love and prayers are with you and your family.  We will be here to lift you up and help you through this difficult time and see you onto the sunshine. Please know we are surrounding you in love and light…  We will be wishing on stars for you…

**And to my photographer friends – THIS is why keeping all your photos from sessions is important.  This session now has an entirely new meaning and I will for sure be going back through the images I didn’t show to see what is there.  Another reminder why I am honored to do what I do and feel blessed to share the gift of memories and moments…

Much Love, Many Prayers and lots of Hugs.

xxoo

Whoa. two weeks in a row – Crazy, right!  I know.

Here we go….

1. Two new favorite apps for my iphone– Shakeit. I mean who doesn’t like the old Polaroid pictures!  Jackson likes it too – one of his favorite new apps as well.  Second favorite is Losit. Best part is it’s free!  Check it out..

2. Nothing says Happy Anniversary like a gym membership, yeah?!  I am finally not pregnant – or recently had any kids – so theres no excuse.  (Yes, those were my excuses!) I reactivated our gym membership for our anniversary so we can get our butts in gear and get back in shape. I don’t worry so much about numbers, it’s not my style.  I worry more about how I’m feeling.  I’m happy to report the last two days were the first two days back and I hit the ground running. Literally.  I ran 2 miles the first day and 3 miles yesterday.  I couldn’t have done it without Pandora - Another reason I love my iphone. It’s made the gym WAY better.  Besides feeling a bit sore, I actually feel really good- and dare I say loved the gym? Yes, crazy. I know. Hopefully it stays this way!

3.  I am so behind I cant even believe I’m admitting it, I haven’t even imported my Christmas morning photos. ::GASP:: Seriously.  There is something wrong with me.   How do you keep up with all your photos? Photogs — How do you keep up with your personal photos as much as your business? Besides giving up sleep all together?!

4. Since adapting a new work system I am finding I’m getting  a lot more done and its really productive.  If you’re finding it difficult to balance work and family time I really recommend blocking time for both and only focusing on one.  Its crazy how much it changes things.  And why did I wait so long!

5.   Super excited about some amazing opportunities for work I’ll be participating in over the next few weeks.  I’ll be sure to report back on them and I’m just finalizing which ones I’m definitely attending – more on this soon.

6.  Molly is finally a walker.  Although she took steps a few months ago, shes wobbled around and had a little bit of a tough time with her hips.. Just in the last few days she has really taken to walking 80% of the time!  I’m so proud of her every time she falls she gets right back up and keeps going.  There is something so cute about their wobbley (yes I made that up) walking! Way to go big girl!

7.  Flip video.  LOVE IT.  The other anniversary gift for both personal and business uses but man, it is awesome!  I’m still trying to figure out how to get on my blog but once I do, I’ll be adding some clips.

8. I’d just like to report how much I still love my Grocery-go-getter.  My Loser Cruiser.  As my brother said ‘The Uterus Mobile.” I am taking care of our friends sweet baby girl two days a week and fitting the two Crazies in plus her is a piece of cake.  For as uncool as it makes this 30 year old look, I’m fine with it. I love it. I’m totally cool with it.

9. Jackson has discovered Trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups.  His new favorite dessert when he eats his dinner.  He tries to tell us since they are little he can have more.  What can I say, that’s how I justify it too.  Although my personal favorite, dark chocolate covered blueberries.  Hey, I started the gym again – don’t hate!

10.  Faces from Haiti. Have you seen this?  It made my heart hurt to look at.  It made it hard for me to breath for these people.  I felt so broken. The thing that always strikes me when terrible disasters  like this happen are the big numbers. When they say thousands of people have died somehow it is just a number.  But looking at these powerful photographs it reminds us that each person in those thousands that have died had a story. Had a family. Had friends. Had a heart.  I think about how devistating it is to lose someone you love and care for and then I think about these hundreds of people that have been lost and how you even go on after losing so many people you loved at once.  It’s really hard for me to get my head around.  At any rate, if we can keep Haiti on our minds I just hope they get the help and aid they need months from now.  That is when they are going to need it most. …… Whoa, heavy.  Sorry about that.

So, there it is! 10 on Tuesday again!  I was hoping to get some pictures up but this naptime is running short!

Thanks for checking in!

Much Love,