It's been a super tough and stressful week, but I'm so grateful I have your kicks to remind me of what's really important. I don't have much more to say than that this week... just know that I'm counting the days until I get to hold you in my arms.
Maternity Series #2: 31 Weeks
Your dad and I just got back from our "babymoon" to Oregon, where we spent 4 days camping in the woods for the Pickathon music festival. Camping at nearly 8 months pregnant was a bit uncomfortable, but the amazing music we got to hear more than made up for it. Based on your kicks, you seemed to like the harder rocking stuff more, so we'll see if you end up being our little rocker man. :)
{MATERNITY} Ashley + Scott
My first session with parents-to-be, Ashley and Scott, included their sweet pup, Dax, but this session was all about the two of them. So we headed into downtown Frederick this past Saturday, whose historic charm was the perfect backdrop for this sweet couple...
They are so stinkin' cute together, which made my job crazy easy. And look at Ashley's gorgeous bump! Only a few weeks away from delivery and she could not be more beautiful.
Congrats, Ashley and Scott! And thank you so much for letting me be a small part of this journey with you.
Letters to My Daughter: July
You and your dad have become ridiculously cute together lately. You've always been a bit more of a mama's girl, but you're starting to realize how awesome your dad is. No one can make you giggle like he can, and watching you two together makes my heart all kinds of happy.
You got pretty lucky in the daddy department... not only does he take incredible care of you, but I know he's going to be such a great example for you of what a good man is - how a man should treat the people he loves, how involved he should be as a father, and how he continually puts the needs of his family ahead of his own. He'll be a pretty tough act to follow, but I can only hope you'll find someone as wonderful as he is someday. (Your dad would prefer that day be a long long time from now.) :)
I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to my friend Carrie’s blog to read her honest and heartfelt letter to her kids.
{Maternity Series #2} 28 Weeks
We're in the home stretch now! I'm officially in my 3rd Trimester and can't believe how close we're getting to your arrival! The bigger my belly gets, the more protective Rocco gets of me. Hopefully you'll like our crazy pup as much as your sister does.
{MATERNITY} Ashley + Scott
Ashley and I met a couple of months ago at prenatal yoga and discovered that not only are we due within a month of each other, but we also live in the same neighborhood! She and her husband, Scott, are so excited to welcome their little boy next month and I was honored when they asked me to take some maternity photos for them.
This session is actually Part 1 of 2... they love their sweet dog, Dax - their first "baby" - and knew they wanted to include him in their maternity photos. So we did this little session right in our neighborhood, and then we'll head into Downtown Frederick in a few weeks to do more photos of just Ashley and Scott. I can't wait!
Maternity Series #2: 27 Weeks
We were back at the cabin this weekend for the 4th of July, and as usual we had a great time. It was HOT so I was just a wee bit uncomfortable, but your dad made sure I stayed cool and drank lots of water. I think you were just as excited as I was to get back to our bed on Sunday night because you kicked so much I could barely fall asleep! :)
Maternity Series #2: 26 Weeks
This week's photo was taken by Kristy Dooley Photography.
I had the most wonderful time in Raleigh this weekend with my girlfriends. We met in an online photography class last Fall, and it was so nice to finally meet in person... it felt more like a reunion than the first time we were meeting! They were sweet enough to take some maternity photos for me and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. The photos are so special to me, not just because they so beautifully document part of my pregnancy journey with you, but also because they're taken by people who are so dear to my heart.
It is my sincere hope for you that you find something you're truly passionate about, and that you're lucky enough to find a group of friends that share that passion.
big girl spoon
Maternity Series #2: 25 Weeks
Your big sister is getting SO excited to meet you! She loves giving my belly kisses and hugs and saying, "I love you, baby!" And you always seem to start kicking whenever you hear her voice. I'm sure you guys will drive each other crazy from time to time, but I have a feeling you're also going to have a lot of fun together.
Letters to My Daughter: June
My sweet girl, you are TWO! I would say "where did the time go?" but it's been a long year filled with lots of changes, so this milestone feels fitting. Most days you actually seem well beyond your two years...
It seems like every time we're out at the park or the pool, someone comments on how fearless you are... and to see you climb the playground equipment or how comfortable you are in the water, even I have to remind myself that you're only 2. Confident, curious, and brave, yet somehow (miraculously) not reckless, I find myself filled with such admiration for you. The enthusiasm you have for new adventures - be it a book, a park, or even just an art project or helping me in the kitchen - is so infectious, and the courage you display when you fall or things don't work out as you would have liked makes me so proud. If there's one thing my dad did for me that I hope to do for you, it's to make sure you know not just how much I love you, but how much I genuinely like you as a person. You really are the sweetest, funniest, smartest kid that I'm certain has ever existed, and I feel so crazy lucky that I get to be your mama.
Watching you grow and change into this amazing little girl has been such a privilege, and I'm so excited to see what this next year brings for you - especially as you figure out your new role as a big sister. I love you so very very much.
I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Christine’s blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!
Maternity Series #2: 23 Weeks
Oof... your mama has been BUSY this week! Lots of late nights and little time with your dad make me pretty grumpy, so I'm hoping things slow down soon. If nothing else, I keep reminding myself that in four short months I'll get to spend my days with you and your insane cuteness and my work stresses will be far behind me.
Still no master, but a whole lot closer...
I finished my Mastering Natural Light Indoors workshop a couple of weeks ago and holy moly was that class a game changer for me. I thought I knew how to best use the light in my house, but I was only seeing the tip of the iceberg. One of the biggest takeaways I learned was how to create and utilize light to better set the right mood for my photos. Take these two self portraits...
I'm making essentially the same expression in both, showing the same amount of skin, but the one on the left tells a completely different story than the one on the right. The one on the left is more thoughtful and serene thanks to the natural backlighting, but the one on the right is more moody and raw - that one was actually taken in our guest bathroom using my iPhone as the only light source. (I had the camera set on top of the back of the toilet, held the phone in one hand, and the wireless remote in the other.) The one on the right also utilizes Rembrandt lighting, characterized by the triangle under my eye on the shadowed side of my face. This is the lighting Rembrandt often used in his portraits and is surprisingly tricky to nail. You do not want to know how many almost Rembrandt triangle outtakes I have from this workshop. :)
Another HUGE thing for me was finally getting some sleeping pics of Emma. All my photographer friends have these amazingly adorable photos of their kids sleeping and Emma's just too light of a sleeper for me to attempt to go anywhere near her during her naps - much less try to take photos. But now that I was getting more comfortable shooting in low light, I foolishly bravely attempted the elusive Emma sleeping shot. The one on the left was my first attempt, and while I love her smooshy face - I wasn't crazy about how the light was hitting her. (I was using only my iPad as the light source.) So when I saw her sleeping in her signature "arms behind the head" position a few nights later, I knew I had to try again. Her little pursed lips in that one just kill me.
I also took advantage of the new blackout curtains in Emma's room (sidenote: why on earth did we wait so long to get those?!?) to control the light a bit better for some casual portraits.
The last big game changer for me was learning to use what I had around the house to create natural reflectors when there wasn't enough fill light...
I knew I wanted to attempt this shot, but when I got in the tub to test out the light (before I filled it up) I realized that the tub was just too deep for the light coming in through the window above the tub to adequately light my feet. So... I got creative:
Who needs to buy a reflector when you have a white sheet, thumb tacks, and duct tape? :) This set up allowed the window light to reflect back down onto my feet, giving me just the right amount of light and that cool reflection in the water.
This was my final assignment submission for the class. The assignment was to take a photo you never would have taken before you took the class, and this certainly qualified... as with the earlier photo, it was taken in our guest bathroom - a room I had never previously even thought to shoot in. And I used my iPhone as my sole light source, something I also never would have done (or at least not done well) before this class. I think the primary thing that makes this photo a first for me is that, despite being someone who for various reasons has ended up taking a stupid amount of self portraits, I had never once even thought to use split lighting (where half of my face is completely in the shadows and half is lit). I love the mood and visual interest it created.
So there you go! Another Clickin Moms workshop crossed off the list, and probably my last for a while. I really can't say enough good things about their classes, so if you're at all interested in photography I highly recommend them. There are classes for every level imaginable and you don't have to be a mom or even female to join in on the fun. :)
Maternity Series #2: 22 Weeks
We just got back from a long weekend at the cabin, and while I'm completely exhausted, I can't stop thinking about how great it's going to be to take you there as you're growing up. It's basically little kid paradise and between fishing and swimming and getting to sleep outside, I really hope you'll love it there as much as the rest of us do.
Letters to My Daughter: May
This is my last letter to you as a 1 year old... a month from now you'll be 2, which is crazy to me because I feel like you've been 2 for a while now. I'm pretty sure you went from infant to toddler overnight, becoming the quintessential little miss independent. "Emma do it!" is something we hear multiple times a day, every day. And no more is this independence on display than when we're at the park...
Despite going to the park every weekend, it never fails to amaze me how fearless and adventurous you are. Our Emma... ready to take on the world.
I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Jessica’s blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!
Maternity Series #2: 20 Weeks
My son... My son... I just keep saying it over and over again. I've felt this whole time like you were a boy, but now that we know for sure it feels so real and wonderful. It will be a whole new experience for us to have a boy, and your dad is very excited that he'll no longer be outnumbered by the girls. More than anything we're just so happy that you're healthy and growing right on track. 20 weeks down, 20 more to go!
CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP
Another month, another Clickin Moms workshop. This is my 4th workshop in 8 months, and I'm really loving it so far. It's called "Mastering Natural Light Indoors" and it's all about how to use the available light in your house (or really any indoor location) to its fullest potential. I'm halfway through the class right now and as you can see, I've taken a lot of self portraits so far. When you're trying to get exact angles of light at exact times of day, a rambunctious toddler isn't the best subject. ;) But between this class and my maternity series, I'm a little selfie'd out. If you've never attempted a self portrait while 5 months pregnant, while standing awkwardly in your empty bathtub, while your expensive camera is perched precariously on a tripod on the other side of the tub, yeah... I don't recommend it. :) Week 1 Practice Shots:
Week 1 Assignment Submission:
Week 2 Practice Shots:
Week 2 Assignment Submission:
I'll have more on these last two photos (and why they mean so much to me) tomorrow...
Maternity Series #2: 18 Weeks
I've been spending a lot of time in this crazy position lately. Why, you ask? Here's the thing... your sister took two and a half days to make her grand entrance into this world, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure you come out a whole lot faster. I'm going to yoga and my chiropractor every week and doing my prescribed stretches every day in an effort to have the most open hips of all time by D-day. Will it work? No idea. But it can't hurt. Well, okay, clearly it hurts a little. But hopefully it'll all be worth it!
Maternity Series #2: 17 Weeks
I'm sorry if you've been feeling how stressed I've been this week. You'll find out some day when you're a parent that you'll spend a lot of time worrying about your kids. I worry about your big sister, who's been struggling to adjust to some unexpected staffing changes at school. I worry about you and you're probably the safest and most protected you'll ever be in your life right now. Worrying just comes with the territory when you're a parent. But, if there's one thing I've learned in my short time as a mother it's that there's a whole heap of stuff I have absolutely zero control over. So I try to focus on what I can control... I can't promise that I'll always be able to protect you from life's hardships, but I can promise I will do my best to make sure the smiles and the giggles far outweigh the tears - and that when the tears do fall, I'll always be there to hold your hand and dry your eyes.
LETTERS TO MY DAUGHTER: APRIL
My sweet girl... this photo is very emotional for me because it depicts a time of great transition in our journey as mother and child. After nearly 22 months of nursing, you are officially (finally) weaned. I honestly never intended to or thought I would nurse you this long. You just never lost interest, and once I didn't have to pump anymore it wasn't really much effort on my part to let you keep going. You would wake up and do your little sign and look up at me with those beautiful blue eyes saying "melk!"... a mother is pretty defenseless to that kind of cuteness. But a month or so ago you started showing small signs of indifference, so when I went away on a business trip we decided that would be it.
Even though I was as ready as I could be, it was still bittersweet once I knew I was nursing you for the last time. You were my baby. You were my first. We've been on this crazy journey together, learning together... and there were many moments during those early days when I wasn't sure I'd ever get the hang of nursing, much less be able to nurse you until you were almost 2. But we figured it out, and it ended up being one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences of my life.
Our last nursing session came and went, and we moved on to a new phase in our relationship. One where I feel much more like the mother of a young girl than the mother of a baby. You still ask for milk almost every day, but you're perfectly fine with my saying "no." We replaced our pre-bed nursing time with rocking and singing in the chair in your room. (This photo was taken during one of those times.) We sing the same three songs every time: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley, "Golden Slumbers" by The Beatles, and "Murder in the City" by The Avett Brothers. Some nights you even sing along, which is pretty much the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life. Mostly I'm just glad that we still get our special time together. You're growing up so fast, and before I know it you'll outgrow wanting to be rocked before bed. So I'm treasuring what I can get.
I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Davina's blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!