Happy Mother's Day

What's your earliest memory of your mom? Strangely, I don't recall seeing mom's face in my memories. I remember going to bed with the summer sun still not set and the morning doves still cooing. Wandering through our neighbor's flower beds because she had strawberries hidden in there somewhere. Getting into trouble because I think I picked a fight with the preschool teacher's daughter.

What I do remember about mom is her presence. I feel her in the the memory of laying in bed that summer evening, watching me hunt for strawberries and standing up for me to the preschool teacher. I remember the feeling of cuddling with mom, of her playing with my hair, of car rides and jazzercise classes. All times where I don't recall seeing her, I can just feel her there.

It's a mother's presence. You can feel it in this video too.

I visited with Jeni and we talked a bit about her own mom. What I enjoy most about this story is the influence Jeni's mom had over one of the biggest decisions Jeni has made yet. Having a "bun in the oven" for 9+ months sure does change our minds about things. It's probably also why I still tear up when I watch this, even after seeing it a hundred times.

Without further ado, thanks so much to everyone who submitted stories for my Mother's Day project! It was one of those ideas that just popped into mind, and with your help I was able to do it. Here is our final piece. I hope it moves you like it does me.

Yarn and Yuengling: Kyle and Mikaila Expecting

Kyle and Mikaila are into good music and good beer (for the record, "Yuengling" was the only "Y"-named beer I could think of). So we took their maternity photos doing what they love. Irony is another thing they enjoy. Like how Mikaila wanted to don the typical housewife look while pregnant at a bar. And you should have seen their tug-of-war over the "Wham!" album! I had so much fun during our shoot and you'll have to agree that this is different than any maternity photos you've seen before.

Baby is due in a few short weeks and I can't wait to meet the little guy! Your mom and dad are so excited to meet you and introduce you to all the pups waiting for you at home.

Roly Poly: Aubrey Turns 6-Months Old

Aubrey just turned 6-months old. That means she's rolling over, sitting up, and is all kinds of adorable. I love that you can see her observing and internalizing everything. The wonders of small minds. I also love the reds Aubrey's mom incorporated into such a cute outfit from painted toenails to red ruffles and a curly-ribboned barrette that managed to last the entire shoot!

Things Overheard

Tell me that doesn't inspire you to do more in your relationship? Because I hear these phrases repeatedly during editing rounds - and I mean I'll go over the same phrase 20 times or more - those words sink from my mind into my heart. It's those words that make me ever grateful for the marriage I do have and the husband God has placed in my life.

To my couples out there: After 8 years of marriage so far, I can assure you that these words spoken from the altar are tried and true. Going through the hard things together and being each other's biggest fan and advocate, deepen the bond you have.

I'd love to hear the tidbits that you've picked up so far. We can inspire and encourage each other!

Photograph Your Newborn in 4 Practical Steps

Greetings Peeps!

I shared my oh-so-traumatic experience of attempting to photograph our newly minted family addition ending in tears and being covered in unpleasantries. Not wanting to be bested by our little fox, I took up the challenge and attempted our photo session again. This time = success! Here's what worked for me:

Step 1: Feed the baby
A substantial milk coma did wonders for coaxing the little one into doing whatever I wanted. I waited for the aftermath as well - burps, pukes, and poops. It was like dropping Mentos into a 2-liter of Coke. Feed and wait. The pressure built. The countdown began! Then came the explosions that quickly become predictable (they had to after cleaning poop off the wall a few times and changing tops twice in a 5-minute span).

Step 2: Stick a finger in it
Whenever the little fox would resist the adorable places I found for her, I would stick my finger in her mouth to woo her back to sleep. A quick coaxing was all I needed in this case. This included snacks. Once upon a time, in ideal Parenthood-Land, I felt this pressure to keep baby on a strict eating/playing/sleeping schedule and to only feed when hungry. For sanity's sake, I was more than happy to take a quick break and get some food in her when she was getting overly fussy with my poking and prodding. It was a nice break for me too.

Step 3: Keep baby safe
It was so fun to think of places to mold a very moldable and snuggable baby, but especially since I was attempting this myself, I made sure she was securely propped up and contained. I was also within arm reach when taking the photos. I must have been my usual famished self because I reached for a mixing bowl and stuffed it full of rolled up blankets for her. The inside was deep enough that she fit just like a batch of my pumpkin brownie mix. I even laid our little fox out on our bed for some of my favorite shots. How easy was that? There was no way she was going ANYwhere (I hope she'll still be this compliant when she's older).

Step 4: Get Naked
The baby, of course! The key for me was starting with our little fox fully clothed so I could get my bearings and she could get hers. Happy coincidence was that once I started putting her back into day clothes, she was still in milk coma status. That meant I could play around with amazing photos showing off that little potbelly of hers.

I was so happy with how these came out and there was practically NO stress. We took our time and I waited for her cues before scrunching her into her next pose on whatever surface I could find in the house, ever handy with a quick snack or pacifier. I happily threw out all of the baby book rules out the window for an hour or two to be able to play like this! And I confess that I have since thrown out most of the baby book rules permanently.

Featurette: Johnny and Kristyn

Johnny and Kristyn's wedding was like diving into all the wonderful ideas on Pinterest and swimming with the pretty blues, soft pinks, old suitcases, rustic barns, and peonies that fill every brides dreams. I could have made a Featurette of only their details. But...

...What I see when I see Johnny and Kristyn is a carefree and bubbly woman with a creative mind that delights in the details. I see a steadfast man who completely adores this woman and will do anything in his power to protect her from any harm that may come her way. He will always cherish and guard her body, soul, mind, and heart. What do you see?

Photograph Your Newborn in 2 Easy Steps

Hello Peeps!

Hubby and I welcomed our first little fox to the troop on November 3rd and she's been such entertainment ever since. Here's just one entertaining story so far...

The fox was merely a week old and I had the brilliant idea to take photos like all the gorgeous naked, posed baby photos you see floating around Facebook. I cranked up the heat, set out some props, stripped the little fox to her bare little baby bum, wrapped her in a blanket in case she leaked, and handed her to Daddy.

You can tell by the photo that we had absolutely no idea what we were doing. We're first time parents after all, not yet knowing if the poor thing's head is going to roll off her neck if we don't hold her just-so. As I snapped photos with my fancy camera, she screamed and cried, even reaching that high shrill that only the most talented of babies can reach.

Dumfounded that she wasn't sleeping peacefully like the babies in all the photos I've seen, I wrapped her in the blanket she had just thoroughly soaked with pee and handed her back to Daddy. The logical conclusion was try, try, try again. Here's where it all hit the fan. Simultaneously, Daddy and I start to sweat because the house is now a sauna, Daddy's phone rings, he reaches for it with his free hand while holding the pee-soaked blanket containing our shrill fox - and the icing on the cake - the baby poops, all over Daddy. And screams and cries.

That last bit applies to us all. A full-blown meltdown ensued with me and the little fox sitting on the floor bawling our eyes out and Daddy covered in poo. And all I have is this lousy photo to show from it.

Step 1: Hire a professional to take newborn photos

Especially if this is your first child. You have way too much going on and no matter how much of a Wonder Woman you think you will be, expect the unexpected and let an outside source pamper you and your baby the way you should be pampered. You'll thank me for it.

Step 2: Keep your phone handy

Some of my favorite photos I have of our little fox are taken with my phone (like this awesome one on the left - totally Anne Geddes, don't you think?). It's so easy to snap photos here and there with my phone (which I have by my side so I can time feedings anyway). It's candid, it's natural, it's stress-free!

It gives you more freedom to play around with things like poses, framing, and lighting because all you have to do is sit there and cuddle your little spawn. Your finger on the button does the rest. If you haven't heard it enough from your family and friends, let yourself relax! Take advantage of this time to just be with your baby! I wish I had taken that advice. It's the only time you'll get to have an excuse to just...be. Your baby will go through a million different expressions in a fraction of a second, so you can easily sit there and capture each one while you're doing what you do best - being a Mom.

Secret Step 3: Stay tuned

I'm going to post my phone pictures, and I encourage you to do the same! I want to see your babies! I post phone photos here and if you'd like to contribute, send your favorites to me on Facebook! I'll also write about how to make the most of using whatever camera you have handy to take meaningful photos of your newborn.

Hear Me Roar: Baby Ethan

From spending the afternoon with Nicole and Billy, and then hearing all about what life has been like so far with a new baby, you would never guess it all entails very small amounts of sleep. Perhaps there are secrets to be learned here about how to look refreshed and have a clean house less than two weeks after coming home from the hospital. Anyone want to divulge so Steve and I can seem as put together when we bring our own little one home early this November?

Ethan was absolutely adorable and posed like a champ for us. Little did I know, Billy is a pro at baby posing and propping. Until I get more practice of my own, I offered Billy a role as baby-poser for any future shoots.

It was so wonderful to be brought into the Terrell home to be a part of documenting this new life and the start of this new little family. I can tell by Ethan's intent gaze that he already knows what goes on in the world around him and I hope this fascination only grows as he does. Congratulations on your little boy, Nicole and Billy!