VHS Class of 79

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Youth Football

We met up after practice one afternoon and I had a great time photographing these two!

Notice the expression on the face of the boy in the black uniform!! Priceless!

Can you feel the love?!







I love the effect of the sunlight on this photo.

Cloth Diapers

I wanted a creative way to portray our usage of cloth diapers. Many people still think that cloth diapering consists of the "white burp cloths" and pins. We use Bum Genius cloth diapers as you can see in the picture and absolutely love them. I definitely recommend them to all parents.

Boys and their Toys

James Broom and his Jeep "Big Orange".

Lindsay's Maternity Session

How exciting to know that your little baby is soon to arrive!!?



I love how you can see a hint of a smile!





Over the weekend I got to do my first Maternity Photo Session. It was with a good friend from the college years. She is 35 weeks pregnant and looks absolutely beautiful! She made it easy to get some really great shots and I had a lot of fun working with her.

New Editing Techniques

I finally figured out how to make just part of an image colored...thanks to a good friend!

Family Fun

Our family when Kylin was 27 weeks old.





There is nothing like being wrapped up in
Daddy's strong arms!

My little baby is 6 months old!

I wonder what it's like to look and see a Siberian Husky staring back at you??!!




· 182 days

· 26 weeks

· 6 months

· Around 10 diaper changes per day = 1800 diaper changes so far and plenty more to go!

· 3 months of disposable diaper usage

· 3 months of cloth diaper usage and our bank account thanks us!

· 1 load of cloth diaper laundry per day totaling about 90 loads at least thus far

· About 5 bibs used each day since we have a little drool monster!

- Averaging about 6 bottle/nursing feedings per day = 1092 sessions

· Plugging the electric pump up roughly 728 times and making at least 728 bottles from
those pumping sessions
· High chair/swing feedings equal about 150 times so far
· Changing clothes equal out to a number that is immeasurable! It seems like when you've changed outfits for what seems like the umpteenth time the little booger spits AGAIN!
· Changing our clothes equals the same number that is immeasurable!
· Saying "No, No!" just started within the past month or so but happens at least several times a day…for example…don't pull the dogs ears, tails, whiskers, or any body part! Don't pull mommy's hair, don't go after that cord, don't spit out your food in my face…etc….the list goes on
· At least 364 bath times enjoyed so far
· 365 walks somewhere: down the road, at Wal-mart, in the mall, at the park
· That same immeasurable number of pictures taken!
· Videos included!
· About 30 pages of scrapbooking completed
· About two months worth of sleeping through the night and then that became history! Who knows why? I have decided to not worry about sleeping through the night! We can sleep now, we can sleep then, we can sleep whenever…just sleep!
· 4 days worth of starting daycare and this week makes for the official start of full time daycare at my school
· Several afternoons of making baby food
· Countless hours spent playing "baby games" and being so proud of the little bit when she does the simplest task
· smiling OFTEN just to see her smile
· at least 1000 naps taken so far
· LOTS of minutes spent washing bottles, pacifiers, toys, pump parts, etc….

182 days= 26 weeks= 6 months of being a mom

I could go on and on and try to add it all up. But it all boils down to this…I chose this job. I didn't exactly know what I was getting myself into fully at the time. People warn you but you never really know until….it happens! I didn't know the love and joy I would feel but you couldn't put a price tag on the things I have gained in this short time of being a mother. I would do it all again for free. I have never known before the love I have felt and given for my Kylin. I know she's only 6 months old but it has all been priceless. I know there are lots to come but I am going to enjoy it all, savor every moment because I am blessed to get to wake up and spend each day living life with her. I do have to say…all the things above I can't claim I've done it all. Thanks Travis for helping to make the first 6 months of our daughter's life so enjoyable by being there through it all! Happy 6 months old Kylin!

6 months old!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Changes

Changes. I have realized that just when something seems to finally seem like the "norm" it all changes. I guess that is what makes life interesting and keeps us relying on God. If we knew what was up ahead we wouldn't always realize our need for Someone greater. I started back to work this week. I did good...emotionally. I cried Sunday night and had a hard time going to sleep. I didn't cry at work though which was good. I didn't feel like I was hiding my emotions though. I mean, I don't ever want to be fake, but I do feel like I am handling this well. Of course I would stay home with my little one if I was able to, but at this point in our lives, I have a wonderful job that takes care of us financially and so I must make the most of being a full-time working mother. I don't think it will ever get better in the sense that I will ever say "Oh, I want to work full-time" but I think I have come to the realization that I must accept this as being the right thing to do for now. Travis brought her to visit me at school several times last week and this coming week he will bring her to her daycare to visit for several hours in order to help her get used to the transition. It is hard thinking that someone else will take care of your baby throughout the day but I must think that this too shall pass. I am excited about Kylin getting to play with other babies and toddlers. We can tell she gets bored with us sometimes! I know this will help her socially AND I will be so close to her daycare.....probably less than 50 yards away! Haha...maybe farther, but the point is I can be right there if she were to need me! I'm still breastfeeding/pumping so this is comforting knowing that I will leave this "part of me" with her throughout the day. I try to give Kylin the absolute best! So far I've made her baby food which includes: green beans, apples, bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash! It has been alot of fun! Travis helps too! It's nice having a husband that I don't feel like I have to "fill him in" on what to do with the baby. I can leave things just as they are and he picks up right where I left off. I realize most husbands work full-time, but I personally think it has been so great for Kylin to have Travis around just as much as me. He will start school full-time next week so I'm sure things will start to get alot busier!
To end this blog I'll fill you in on some changes Kylin has made: she has fully transitioned to sippy cups! I LOVE the Nuby cups with the soft spouts and she does too! No more bottles for us! She was sooo proud of herself! This makes for less cleaning...yay for me and Travis! She now rides in the grocery buggy seat!!! Of course protected by the cool cushion gadget so she doesn't get exposed to all the nasty germs on the bars! She sits in the high chairs at the restaraunts and TRIES to pull everything off the table that she can get her hands on! She's so much fun! To top it all off we traded in our Mercury Mountianeer and got a Toyota Yaris! We're getting WAY better gas mileage so far and absolutely love this switch! Next week my little girl will be six months old! AHHHH, I can't believe it! Enjoy your week and look out for the simple pleasures! They are everywhere!

End of Summer Break

My summer off is quickly coming to an end as going back to work is just around the corner.  I am so thankful I have had these months to enjoy my precious Kylin.  Each day seems to bring something new.  She has learned how to roll over, sit upright by herself when put in the position, creep around, and beginning to crawl.  We have endured a round of shots, sleepless nights, 30 minute naps (exactly!), teething pain, growth spurts, and stinkier diapers.  We have enjoyed new giggles and grins, full body laughs, new hair growth, baby noises which include her new word/sound "oom BAA", the ability to interactively play more, a "little more freedom", longer naps now that the summer is almost over, feeding new foods such as rice cereal, homemade green bean puree, and homemade applesauce, fewer poops, lots of picture taking, Splash in the Boro, visits with friends and family, and daily melting each time my little girl smiles at me.  I have successfully scrap booked her little life so far.  Yep, 23 weeks full of memories and pictures have been placed into her very own first scrapbook.  My goal was to have her life up until now scrapbooked before I started back to work and I reached it!  I'll have to post some pictures of some of my favorite pages.  Well, I'm off to be a hero to my 2 feet tall baby girl!

This was just an idea I had. It is of a pair of Kylin's booties when she was born.

Kylin at 21 weeks old.

Kylin is almost 24 weeks old! Where has my itty bitty baby gone?!

Today we took a trip to visit the grandparents in Vidalia. While I was there I got to photograph a subject other than my own little munchkin. I had a lot of fun and he did as well!

in plain view photography

If you don't follow your dreams and set goals that to others may seem unattainable then you will settle for the mediocre life. I want to take the path that is not as worn as the rest. I want to follow my dreams, try out new things, and take a chance even if failure is an option as an end result. How can you ever know the depths God has for you if you aren't willing to dive in head first?

Here I go taking a chance. I have found something I absolutely love and I am going to run with it.

in plain view photography... I am going to work on building a portfolio, other than my own little subject, and see where this leads. I am so excited! I plan to focus solely on babies and children in modern and unconventional settings and we will see where things lead. Until then...enjoy the moments in plain view.

5 months old!

I absolutely LOVE this shot!


I have enjoyed "playing" with all the pictures I've been taking.



It's as if she's really pondering something important!

Someone likes being silly!

5 months is such a fun age....aren't they all though! I guess at each stage you find all the new ways to enjoy your little one.

Where did my itty bitty baby go? Kylin is now starting to sit up! It seems like just last week we brought home that helpless, immobile, teeny, tiny baby! Here are some recent pictures I wanted to post for your enjoyment. I have taken up the hobby of photographing. When you have such a cute and easy subject it makes taking pictures so much fun!

Two months have come and gone and I am back at work.  7:00 a.m. is one of my favorite times of the day because my little one wakes up in such a good mood ready to share her smiles and giggles with me before I head off to work.  I usually get about 20 minutes with her before I have to leave and those 20 minutes are so precious to me.  She looks at me as I approach her crib and once she hears my voice and realizes it's me, she gives the biggest toothless smile I've ever seen and my heart melts all over again.

I've come to learn that being a mom is one of the toughest jobs there is, but one of the most rewarding.  I spent two months scouring the internet for articles on issues my baby and I were experiencing or about to experience.  I held her in one arm and fed her and typed away at the internet with the other arm.  I became quite the expertise in doing activities one handed with a baby in the other hand.  I can now do laundry one handed.  I can cook (not using sharp objects, near the stove, or hot items).  One rule we have is she isn't allowed in the kitchen when the oven is on or near knives or other sharp objects!  So I have become quite inventive on getting dinner ready.  I had quite a few evenings where her nap coincided with time to cook dinner but then she thought she needed to eat at just the second we both sat down to enjoy a hot dinner.  Hot dinner….what is that????  Thank goodness for the microwave.  Somehow babies sense when you're hungry and they all of the sudden need your undivided attention! 

I had the time of my life staying home with my sweet Kylin.  She is precious and such a good baby.  I would stay home the rest of my life with her if I was able to but right now I must work and somehow each morning I will try to put a smile on my face as I kiss her goodbye and enjoy the professional job that God has given me. 

Kylin is growing so fast!  We go to the doctor this coming Thursday.  She must weigh a ton it feels like!  She is eating good and is already sleeping through the night (most nights at least)!  When she does wake up in the night she usually eats a few ounces and then dozes back off to sleep pretty quickly.  The fact that she is sleeping so good is such a blessing.  I know it would be a lot harder to go back to work if I were not getting as much sleep.  She absolutely LOVES bath time and screams her head off when we take her out.  We usually do baths around 8 and then she eats and little and is usually asleep by 9 pm.  Then she will wake up around 7 in the morning, just in time for me to change her, feed her, and enjoy her sweet smiles before I go to work.  Her days consist of eating, burping, sometimes spitting up (we go through a lot of bibs!!), being changed, being held A LOT!, swinging, staring AND smiling J at the ceiling fan, being walk around the house looking at all of our AMAZING stuff, walking around outside in her stroller, tummy time, being licked by our puppy Slade, laying in her crib looking at butterflies that hang over her crib and laughing and smiling at them as well, crying, pouting…and YES….she knows how to stick her bottom lip out and quiver AND get her way, taking baths (sometimes several!!), sleeping on Mommy and Daddy's chests, cuddling, and most of all just being cute!  We have a lot of fun with her!  She does enjoy short car trips…haven't gone anywhere yet that's farther than 45 minutes away.  She will usually, USUALLY fall asleep but we have had a few episodes where she screamed her head off in the car and we had to pull over to figure out what was wrong.  It's not as easy as one would think to travel far with a young baby.  You have to try and travel in between feedings, which for mine is difficult because she is not very predictable yet with when she wants to eat…we are getting there though.  And then she spits up a lot so we have to hold and burp her longer to try and prevent her from spitting up and I just really don't enjoy spitting up…so…we've kept our outings to close to home for now.  Hopefully, this summer she'll start to keep a little more predictable schedule and we can travel now.  One thing that is nice is that she does still take several naps throughout the day as long as you recognize she is getting sleepy and you arrange her surroundings to somewhere she can fall asleep…for example, she LOVES to sleep in her swing so every morning about an hour after she wakes up I put her in her swing and BOOM…she takes a nap!  Nice!  Well, I've got to go for now but I hope to start blogging more often now! 

Kylin has arrived!

Kylin looking adorable!





A proud grandfather...Travis' dad.













A proud grandmother! Travis' mom












Another proud grandmother...Kirsten's mom.









Proud granddaddy holding baby Kylin...Kirsten's dad.














Our little sweetie :)























Her husky brothers aren't quite sure what we have brought home. The big one is scared to death of her every move and sound and the little one wants to lick and clean her!








Here are a few pictures from Kylin's first week with us! We are soooo excited she is finally here and we're enjoying every minute of it. I'll post later on how labor and delivery went!