The wind storm of 2012

In case you have been living under a rock, the Governor of Virginia has declared Virginia in a State of Emergency. I guess this is the largest non-hurricane-related power outage in history? Don't quote me on that. We are one of the very few and very blessed houses that did not lose power. So we've become a little mini shelter for some of our friends and we're having a pretty good time! This time last week we thought we'd be in an RV driving cross-country today... but plans changed and we are glad to be where we are right now.

Sunday, however... she's a little confused. Entertaining (for us), entertained (by all the activity going on), but still confused. She's so cute. :)

My job.

Last Saturday I was doing my usual browsing of social media on my phone while Tommy was driving us someplace. Saturday evenings are the time of the week when I miss my career the most. I have lots of photographer friends on Facebook and they all share pictures of the weddings that they shoot. All day long. A reception shot here, a cake shot there… details and kisses and smiling bridesmaids galore! And I long for that environment. So much. I really miss shooting weddings. So I have to work to redirect my thoughts. Back to my sweet little girl who is cooing in her car seat and my husband who is drumming on the steering wheel. This is where I am meant to be. Loving him, raising her... creating memories with my family.

I pray for a fresh perspective and it comes. I have a job I love and long for (so many people don't have that), I have a supportive and caring husband, and a sweet, sweet girl that wants me more than anything in the world right now.

So I take a deep breath and I say a prayer of thanks. Thank you, God… that today my only job is to create and capture our memories.

Here are a few pictures of our activities last Saturday. Sunday is LOVING the pool. How could I give this up? I couldn't.

That last picture is of her saying "Okay! All done!"

The last 7 months...

The other day Tommy and I were looking through old photos of Sunday. Of course this is something we will be doing for the rest of our lives. But we really got a kick out of these comparisons:

Sunday as a newborn:

Sunday at 3 months:

Sunday now:

Call us "new parents," but we really got a kick out of that middle picture and how it was the exact mix of the earlier and later photos. So fun!

my favorite wrap, pt II

A few weeks ago I bought a Boba carrier so I could wear Sunday on my back and be a lot more productive around the house. It happens to be my most preferred carrier to use while mowing the lawn.  It's also super easy to clip and go when I'm in a parking lot and headed some place I would need to carry Sunday (versus sitting her in a shopping cart). I really like my Boba carrier and the versatility it offers. So naturally my little ring sling has been stuffed in the bottom of Sunday's diaper bag for a while "just in case." But it was getting pretty lonely.

Recently I was out working on a project and accidentally left the Boba at home. Times were desperate and I threw Sunday in the ring sling so I could do some shooting while holding her at the same time.

And I fell in love with it all over again. I suddenly remembered why I loved it so much.

Sure, I like that Sunday enjoys it. I like that I can be productive while having her so close to me. I love that it is the best carrier to hold her in when eating out at a restaurant (before she was big enough to sit in a high chair) because I can wear her on my hip instead of on the front or back (which makes booth sitting/eating near impossible). I love that I can nurse successfully and discreetly while also grocery shopping (hehe). I love that it's a neutral color and it goes with anything. Okay, so we get it. I love the sling.

But... it is my favorite because it creates such a bonding environment for us. When she is in the ring sling she curls up next to me and lays her head against me. She isn't asking to eat and she isn't fussing herself to sleep. She is just content. It is our cuddle time without expectations. Just loving one another... feeling safe... being sweet. Lots of kisses are given and loving gazes are shared. And I fall in love over and over again.

With Sunday of course. But also with my ring sling. :)

Here are a few pictures of us the other day sharing some sweet moments. (Thanks for snapping these, Erica!)

Hello out there!

I read this blog post about a month ago and have been thinking about it a lot since. What am I leaving behind? Silly facebook status messages? Instagram "likes?" Almost everything I document about my life these days disappears into the world of Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. At least the Instagram photos are saved on my phone. And I have this blog.

Nevertheless… I was really inspired by Seth's words. What am I leaving behind? I want to blog more… to document the big things and the little silly things about life that are apparently important enough for me to share on social media but not here on the blog.

So… look forward to more frequent (but probably shorter) blog posts. I know it'll take a while to make this a habit, but my hope is that my blog will become my place where memories are stored. I'm even setting up a "blog from mobile device" option on my phone. (I know, I'm so behind!)

In the meantime, here are some recent pics of Sunday. She is loving the new bathtub thingamajig we got for her. Between the bath and the pool she and water are new BFFs! She loves to splash around and it's so fun watching her learn!