April Showers

I am sitting here watching my son climb on a toddler chair and standing up on it, such the dare devil! I am not even worried that he may fall because he has some amazing balance for a toddler! There is that word again... "toddler" I still can't believe that he is 13 months! Time has passed so quickly and I have enjoyed every minute of it. He really is showing more and more of his own personality and loves to dance!!! Very musical also! My daughter is changing right before my eyes too. Talking like a grown up, and just amazes me everyday. She is head over heels in Disney Princesses and I wonder where did this come from? Really? Cause I am not a girly girl! We played dress up not to long ago where I broke out my wedding dress. The look on her face was priceless. "Mommy's Princess Dress" as she called it :) Gosh I don't know what I would do if I didn't have them. But of course we all know having a 2 year old and 1 year old isn't just cake and ice cream! We have our "fun" days here. Little Miss has mastered the art of temper tantrums and Louden has the throwing himself on the ground and screaming down pat. Especially when mommy needs to clean and he just wants held... They crack me up, I just want to seriously laugh at some of the things they have fits over!

Last Sunday was Easter and we went to my parents. We didn't get in until Friday afternoon and got settled. Then it was outdoors to let the kids play! I didn't get out this trip. There was a few factors involved in that, 1 I was just flat out exhausted. And 2. One of mom and dads cats decided to take a ride under my car then jump out 7 miles down the road. He is still alive but its one of mom and dad's favorite cats. I still feel sick to my stomach. I hope he finds his way home. Sunday was Easter... I totally forgot to go and see my Grandmother and Grandfather. Totally slipped my mind! I was trying to help get things ready to go for dinner and keep an eye on my kids. Easter went great! The kids woke up to their little baskets, sorry I don't think Easter should be the 2nd Christmas. They got a few trinkets, bubbles, candy and a stuffed bunny each. Louden's had a few matchbox cars in it and Victoria's a dress up dress. The only reason she got the dress was because it was on sale and I threw the other ratty green dress out. Seriously, this shit of buying your kid a new bike or a bunch of toys at Easter is dumb.... Ok fine if you got that as a kid, but what did you start expecting when you were 8? A 4 wheeler from the Easter bunny? Sorry just don't get it. And people wonder why their kids are spoiled... Sorry about my rant,.it just irks me. But anyways! The kids had an awesome egg hunt, although as soon as they started it started raining. Go figure! Yeah so I wasn't going to get my camera wet so I missed out on a few pics. As SOON as my daughter finished it stopped. UGH! Oh well. They both had fun!

We actually got a family picture! Ok I know we are harder on pics of ourselves then what others are. I like it its just I don't like the way I look. Its almost a cross between Pot and a stuffed sausage. But you know it has my kids in it and my husband so its perfect :)

Gosh so much went on! We had all the grandkids together and didn't even get a big family picture :( So bummed. Hopefully we can get one in June. My cousin is getting married and its going to be awesome to see family I haven't seen in a very long time.

Well I need to get off of here and get to working out! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.

Addie, 8 months has gone to fast and you were gone to soon. Your momma misses you as do all of us. Keep watching over her and give her strength.

A month!!!

Wow it has been a month since I posted something up in this blog! Its been busy! lol! I started my Photog bizz and it has really taken off, although I was only charging $60 and just raised it to $125, which I think is still a good price! Haven't had any bites for June yet with the new price... We will see though. I am hoping with the new clients that will generate new business. That is the way it goes though. It takes someones friends to like your work in order to get a booking.

On a personal note I have started my weight loss journey in hopes to fit into this wonderful vintage style dress in time for my sister in laws wedding. Its freaking hard! I mean really! I am suppose to eat a certain amount of calories a day and that is tough! Ok if I eat crap it isn't but I eat fruits and veggies and all that yummy stuff. I am rocking it out to p90x and it is kicking my butt!!!! LOVE IT!!! Getting ready to up my weights again! Its weird because I feel like I am becoming addicted to working out! I can feel it on those days that I don't... Yay!


Well the kids are doing great! Victoria's hair is getting curly and she even has a few freckles!!! Louden, now he is ALLLLLL boy! Loves to climb on stuff and just be a boy! Its great! We are going to go attempt some Easter pics today as well as a family shot. I think the last time we had a good fam shot was when Louden was born....

Louden is such the velcro baby! He is attached to me 24/7 :) Lol! Its funny cause I can leave and he will be ok, but the moment he sees me the waterworks turn on! Crazy! Victoria is becoming more and more the young lady. Seriously into princesses. I think I have watched The Princess Frog about 15 times within a few weeks... Between that one and the little mermaid... But the great news is! The weather is finally nice, and they are both healthy again so it is time for some serious outdoors play!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!! Ok well time to drink my 2nd cup of coffee and get going on some p90x! I hope you all enjoy your day!!! I know I will :)

Little Man is ONE!

Ahhh really it has gone so quickly that I sit here and wonder where has it gone. I have lots of memories from the past year like his birth that I remember vividly.

    

  March 8, 2010  5:06pm          

When they put him on my chest and I looked down into those beautiful eyes I knew that my world just changed for the best. Why did I worry so much? What was I thinking it was going to be so hard to have another child. Sure it wasn't easy the first week home alone but we survived, and now I cannot imagine my life without the 2 of them. My heart is so full of life and love that it amazes me. I have been so thankful everyday that we made it! 

His birthday party was this past Saturday and we had lots of family and friends here to celebrate! Did a Yo Gabba Gabba theme because he says Babba Babba when ever he sees something Gabba related. It is so cute! The cakes were a white cake with grated lemon for flavoring. They turned out really yummy despite one of the batters not being sooo nice to me. And after making 7 pounds of butter cream I can safely say, Victoria will be getting a homemade ice cream cake for her birthday! lol ;) 

         I dressed L up in his first birthday onesie and hat and grabbed the camera and with some help from my MIL behind me we got him to look! haha! Stinker butt!!!

 He is just so darn cute! Ok maybe I am a little bit biased... haha! He needed no encouragement what so ever when it came to cake time! He was all about it. That is pretty much how he eats all the time, taste now decide later. He was a mess! Icing in his ears and all over his face. 

He went straight up to the tub following the cake! All in all it was a great party and I had lots of help from my family which I don't think I could of made it through with out them. Thank you thank you thank you! :) I am surprised that I didn't cry either! M is so set on that we are done with having kids that this was a tough day. My Baby Boy is One. It has gone so fast. Luckily I have memories and tons of pictures :)

 

 

Welcome to the World Baby Oliver!

Monday on February 28th I had the honor of photographing my friends birth of her son. Wow, what an amazing experience! Honestly I was scared shitless that I was going to eff something up! That I wasn't going to be able to do what she wanted me to do, but in the end she got some great pictures and an ever lasting reminder of her all natural labor and delivery!

On Monday morning at 5:30am I received a text telling me that she was in triage and waiting to see if it was just a false alarm or the real thing. Maybe an hour later I received another saying it was the real thing and they were admitting her! Ahhh! My husband was awesome enough to take off work and stay home with the kids while I went there! What a guy! I tell you sometimes he amazes me. So I jumped in my car and drove for a little over an hour to her hospital, which on any other day would only take 30 minutes!!!!!  Fucking Pittsburgh tunnel traffic sucks ass! When I got there she was in full labor and going strong! Contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and were not letting up! So I grabbed the camera and started shooting. Her mid wife was fantastic! Just in tune with everything that she wanted or needed. After being hooked up to the monitors for a bit to check on how little man was doing she took a nice hot shower! Good for her! It was funny cause she got out of the shower to ask for an epi but was 9.5 cm... yeah def not getting the drugs! Damn! It still amazes me that she transitioned in the shower for not even 30 minutes. Talk about a fast labor! Little man was there literally and ready to come out. Her husband was there by her side, only leaving to wet the rag with cool water to wipe her face. 

After a few pushing session, he was here. All pink and gooey and full of life. To my friend, thank you for allowing me to be there and photographing the birth of your son.

I just want to share a few picture with you all. These are some of my personal favs. Okay I like them all but really I can't fit them all on here nor am I done editing them!!!!!

Welcome to the world Oliver. To my beautiful friend and Momma of 2, Congratulations!!!!!

While Photographing this, I was scared. Really an honest to goodness scared. On the drive there my mind kept racing to my friend Mary. She had lost her first born days before her due date. She is on my mind everyday and I think of her daughter often. Once I heard the heartbeat of Oliver on the monitor a flood of relief raced through my body. I cried when he was born, which made focusing suck, he was so beautiful. So full of life and resting on his mommas tummy. He barely cried as he was comforted by her, just there. Full head of hair and some toes that stretched for ever. Being on the other end of a delivery is an experience that I will treasure forever. As for birth photography, it was great to be there and to document this special event for a mother that wants to remember every contraction, and emotion that was expelled in a small room full of love.

Time Goes by

Time goes by you forget how much you truly do love someone and how much they mean. I have gotten myself into such a routine that my world has revolved around my kids that I have left my husband just kind of out there. I am so guilty of doing that. I never thought that I would but I did. This past week I have done some serious thinking about our relationship. Don't get me wrong its a solid as a rock considering everything we have been through but it was more like friends instead of husband and wife there for a while. I have been thinking back to the times when we use to sneak off just for the fun of doing it and holding hands and kissing like we really meant it. Those are the things I am working on getting back into our lives. We will be celebrating 5 years of marriage this year and to some that may not seem like a lot but to me it is! I am so happy that I have a man in my life that supports me in good times and bad, works his butt off so I am able to stay at home and raise our kids. I may not get the house spotless or the laundry may be piled up but he always tolerates it. The little things in life is what makes life truly worth living and it makes me want to do it to the fullest. It is so easy to forget those little details that mean the most to each other. I just wanted to write this because I don't want to be that couple that is just friends, not going to happen. I don't know how many other couples go through this but I am sure it happens.

The kids are doing amazing! My son is about ready to take off walking if his sister would let him and she is as smart as ever! Some of the stuff she says either makes me laugh or makes me wonder where the heck did that come from! Here new word is "didge". We have no idea what it is! We thought it may of been shit but its not that, at least I don't think it is! Little man has been talking up a storm his self here lately! He does say a few words but its mostly jibber which is soo cute! He has a set of squealing lungs also! Wow! I don't know how our neighbors don't hear them! (We live in a townhouse) Crazy! So it is less than 2 weeks till Louden's first birthday party! Excited and stressed at the same time! I have the menu done and I just have to get a few more decorations but the crunch time is going to be the last week! Gotta get the cakes made and the food prepped! Not to mention I want to get everything almost spotless! Hard to do with 2 kids! haha! Well I suppose its time to get going on the lovely mountain of laundry that keeps taunting me! Meanie! The housework is never done!!! :)

A title... hmmm no clue

Wow, life has been busy and fun the past weeks. I guess I just really haven't make the time to write anything. So much to say but it just gets buried and set aside till later and then when later gets here I don't feel like doing anything... lol! My son turned 11 months the other day. Sad! I cannot believe that it has gone so fast. really that sounds so cliche but truly it has. He is coming into his own and it is great. He still gives the best hugs and kisses! So affectionate. Ok, he is a little clingy but hey I love it! He is starting to stand up on his own and attempting steps but not really following through with them. Ahhhhh before long he will be walking! Oh my! And my beautiful young lady is turning into just that! She will be 3 the end of May! So smart too! Right now she is watching "Mulan" and curled up under a blanket. She is so into Princesses right now. I have no idea where this girly girl came from because it wasn't me! haha! I suppose I do encourage it though. She talks so much and has a little attitude to go with it! God how I will miss these days! Some days I feel like they will never end but deep down I don't want them to. I am loving every day every minute with them!

I have been trying to figure out when i am going back home for a visit but it really depends on when my friend delivers. I am hoping the end of March and I will be there for a week. The weather will be warmer and I can take the kids out exploring the old sites around Martinsburg! Ahhh how I miss that town, but I wouldn't trade living in Pittsburgh for anything! Well i suppose its shower time and get Louden off for his second round of Flu shot....

Its been a while

Wow, yeah so I did it.... I am scared shitless but i started a blog for my business.... I think that it is just temporary for now because I am not happy with the site or any of that. I know that it can be better. I just have to figure out how to build my own template.... Yes, I am too damn cheap to buy one. But really I am not 100% sold on the name either.... It was a toss up between Simply Life and photography by Cindy. Its one of those things, who is really going to remember the name... I have yet to register my business name with PA because I am not sold on it... I will probably think it over tonight and go from there. Still all the things run through my head. Am I good enough, will I get hired. Will this be something that will progress. i know the photogs here in Pittsburgh are amazing and there are quit a bit of them, maybe I should of stayed just a mom with a camera. But really i want to share my love for this and cover the costs of maintenance on my camera, discs and gas. Oh and of course the baby sitter. Ahhh. So much to this! I think I need to figure out a design and get it right!!!! Well that is about all I have to say about that for now! Sooo much running through my head. Oh a special thanks to Mary for giving me a shout out in her post! You rock girl and thank you so much for believing in me =)