I think I have lost track of the number of times I’ve photographed these girls, but every time I do, I think we have more fun than the time before!  I remember the first time clearly.  Aubrey was super shy, and as any three year old would, she wanted to play at the park much more than she wanted to get her photo taken.  Karli was just a tiny one year old!  Crazy how things can change so quickly.  This time around, there was no shyness going on at all!  I jumped in their car, and right away Aubrey showed me her loose tooth (which I heard she’s since lost…YAY!), and we started chatting about the start of preschool.  And it definitely makes me happy to hear a mom tell me about bedtime success when she threatened to have the session cancelled if they didn’t get to sleep!  LOL.  Whatever works, and it is so great to hear that they were so looking forward to getting their photo taken!

Thanks for all the fun, girls, and I can’t wait for your family session this fall!

So, not last Saturday, but the one before (again…always a week behind), I went to Fargo to meet up with Erin.  Remember?  Last winter, she came to Bismarck for a mentoring session?  Well, she now has a blog and website, and I encourage you to check her out because she is doing awesome!  We are planning to do a session swap this fall, too, and I cannot wait.  It is so much fun spending time talking photography with a friend, so I’m glad we could make it happen. 

And, of course, we needed some willing models, and that is where these two came in!  Seriously, the sweetest little kids.  Jacob is super smart and was so cooperative.  And Ellie…what a doll.  I just love those big blue eyes of hers!  And their parents were pretty awesome, as well.  When I found out they were both engineers, I knew we’d get along.  Thank you guys for coming out in the heat and playing with us!

Tomorrow night, I have a session with two of my favorite girls, and then we’re headed off for vacation this week, so say a prayer that the car ride isn’t torture!

Just a few snapshots of what’s going on in the life of this one year old!

A new big boy carseat.  I’d like to report that he loves it, but alas, not much has changed.  He still hates being strapped in 99% of the time.  I’m not sure what I did to deserve the 20 minutes of quiet time when he passed out back there the first time he rode in it.  And I’m not convinced it will ever happen again.

And today, his first hair cut!  It was long over due, but I refused to get it done until after he turned one.  He just looks way too grown up for this mama’s heart.  After looking at these, I will go right back to the one of him sleeping in the carseat.  Because when he’s sleeping, he still looks just like he did as a newborn.  I hope it stays that way forever.

Not sure about this…

Before & After

Last weekend (always at least a week behind on my blogging), we spent most of Sunday out at grandma and grandpa’s house.  They’re preparing to sell the farm, so I thought it would be great to get some photos of Rory out there.  Of course, there are much more exciting things to do at the farm besides getting your picture taken by your mother.  She was busy watering the flowers, but she gave me a few minutes without complaint.

He’s pretty much been called Cohen Monster by the whole family since he came home with us, so a monster party was only fitting.  The poor guy is dealing with a cold, and a nose that has been running like a faucet, so he was a little out of it for part of the day, especially after not much of a morning nap, but I think he had a great birthday.  It was so nice to have all of our family and friends there, so thank you all for helping us celebrate!  I was worried it was going to be unbearably hot, but we had plenty of shade, and it seemed the weather was perfect!

I hardly saw Rory the entire time.  She was having so much fun at the playground with all of her friends.  She came out for the pinata and treats, though!

I loved how the invites turned out…

Lots of little monsters and polka dots!  Cohen LOVED the big balloons!

It was a great way to end a great year!

You’re sweet, snuggly, funny, mischevious, smart, busy, and best of all…mine.  Here’s to one of the fastest years of my life.  I feel like there is no way it was already a year ago that I met you, and even though you’ve grown and changed so much, when I’m rocking you to sleep and I look at you, to me, you are the same tiny baby we brought home.  I love you! 

It’s late, and I don’t have much else to say but that I LOVE these babies.  So, so much.  Looking through these as I post them, I get tears in my eyes because I am just so grateful to be their mother and so grateful for our family.  Sometimes stress and sleep deprivation get the best of me, and I have a hard time keeping it all in perspective, but at the end of the day, I love them more than I did the day before.  How that’s even possible, I don’t know.

Well, last July was booming with babies in our family.  I just really don’t believe it has been a year, and the past few weeks I have gone from denial, to an emotional mess at the thought of it, back to denial.  First Blake, then Cohen, then Emma.  Oh, Emma.

I just love this girl to death.  I always know that when I see her, she will have a smile waiting for me, and I had so much fun last Saturday during our little session because she is just the sweetest thing.  She is definitely a girl, which is a bit of a change compared to those two boys!  And I love it.  She will always hold a special place in my heart, and I love her as if she is my own.  How could I not?  Just look at her!

Well, almost!  Only a few more days.  I remember last year on the 4th of July, his mom and I were very swollen, very round, very excited, and very nervous.  Blake was going to be making his grand entrance in only two days, and we spent most of the day in the comfort of air conditioning, talking about what labor and delivery would be like.  Now, looking back, it seems strange that either of us was ever worried.

It has been a fast first year, and all I can say about all of the years to come is..we’re in for some trouble, I think.  Blake and Cohen are going to keep us busy, no doubt!  We can blame their dads for that.

Oh boy.  I am so behind on my blogging.  These photos were actually taken on Father’s Day, so right around the time Cohen turned 11 months.  In the last month he has reached two huge milestone.  Four teeth have FINALLY made their way through.  I never thought this would happen, I really didn’t.  The poor guy has been struggling with those teeth for so long.  For over three months, his gums have been white, puffy, and swollen.  Practically every day, one of us has said, “Any day now!” and that day never seemed to come.  Just this past Sunday night, before I put him to bed, that forth tooth was not yet through.  That night, he was up at 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 when he finally was able to sleep until 7:00 when I had to wake the poor kid up, but the next morning…the tooth was there!

The next big piece of news is that he is walking!  The kid was holding out on us for this one, too.  For several weeks, he could stand in the middle of the room.  Play around, almost fall, catch his balance, squat down, stand back up.  He could do it all, but he would not take a step.  Finally, one night I bribed him with the suncreen bottle that he is so attached to, and he did it.  Rory and I both let out a simultaneous “YAY COHEN!”  We were both so excited, and I was so happy that I was home this time around.  When Rory took her first steps, of course, I was gone.

So, here we are in the eleventh month, gearing up for a big first birthday party, and wondering where in the world the time has gone.  I love rocking him to sleep and looking at his little profile.  He still looks exactly the same as the day he was born.  And looking back on photos and videos of Rory at this age, I see a ton of similarities that I don’t see every day. Mostly in their expressions.

He’s much too busy to pay much attention to me these days.  But I love those sweet little lips.  The purple eye lids that are a sure sign that he’s tired.  The slightest red tint to his hair that only shows up in certain light.  And that middle finger. 

This girl loves playing outside and loves the water.  No doubt about that.