Happy Birthday Emmersyn

My baby is ONE!!  This little girl has brought so much happiness to our corner of the world and we had so much fun celebrating this past weekend. Happy birthday Emmersyn!

Emmy jo bday 2 (1 of 1).jpg

But guys, how is this possible? I blinked and this first year is gone. I am a mess of emotions about it. I am happy that she is healthy, strong and full of personality. I am sad that she is growing so fast that I barely remember what it felt like to hold her on my chest while she slept. I am eager to watch her explore her surroundings and cheer on each milestone… like first words, and first steps. But scared that I’ll forget how she looked while crawling wildly across the floor to get to me. I love putting new outfits on her and seeing how cute she looks- but that just means I have heaps of clothes that she can’t wear anymore (and that I now have to spend hours washing, sorting and boxing up.) I am ecstatic that she (mostly) sleeps through the night but honestly, I enjoyed the night time snuggles. I miss breastfeeding but think it’s adorable that she can feed herself tiny fistfuls of food. She is starting to smell more and more like a kid and only has that sweet baby scent after a bath.

Emmy jo blog 6 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 9 (1 of 1).jpg

If you’ve been with me a while now, you know I LOVE babies! I am one of those sick people that could do the pregnancy and newborn stage over and over. I just really love that part of motherhood. But, Emmersyn is my last baby. We have two beautiful and healthy baby girls. We are good. Our family is complete.

Emmy jo blog 7 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 8 (1 of 1).jpg

And as wonderful as it was to welcome another daughter to our family, I feel obligated to be totally transparent… This was not an easy year for me personally. I dealt with so many changes all at once and it wreaked havoc on my emotions. Unfortunately, I think this is why I feel like it went faster than it should have. I repeatedly begged time to slow down. I tried my best to stay present. Made promises to myself that I would stop turning my attention to unnecessary tasks.

Emmy jo blog 10 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 11 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 12 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 13 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 14 (1 of 1).jpg

There were moments though that I thought I’d never get through and would selfishly wish away time. Like Emmy’s awful phase of not sleeping. Or the 26 day road trip we decided to go on when she was 3 months old that required us to stop every few hours for feedings in random rest stops (I should probably write about that experience someday). And me struggling with mom guilt and having to walk away from a job I was deeply attached to for the last 6 years. Oh and also me struggling with my new identity as a stay at home mom so badly that I decided to launch my photography business right in the middle of the craziest season of my life. Yeah. Lots of change.

Emmy jo blog 1 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 17 (1 of 1).jpg

As I write this on day 366 of Emmy’s little life, I know this next year will bring even more change… And I’m totally okay with that. Because all of those days ahead will also bring the moments that will be worth remembering and looking back on. The stories I’ll get to collect and tell her when she’s older. The pictures and videos documenting all of the amazing things she did.

Emmy jo blog 2 (1 of 1).jpg

Time may take us (somewhat unwillingly) further from those early days of becoming a family of 4 but it is also a gift. It means I get to be with my daughter. I get to laugh more. And yeah, I miss all the baby stuff and I probably always will, but I really like Emmy’s personality. She’s a neat kid and I am excited to see who she becomes.


My favorite things about Emmy Jo:

  • She is the sweetest baby and never runs out of snuggles or open mouthed kisses!
  • She is a bit shy around people and will put her head on my shoulder covering her eyes until she’s ready to have a look at you.
  • Her eyes are sparkly and big and always seem to be smiling.
  • She is very curious and loves to be a part of the action.
  • Her disposition is mostly calm… until Lydia gets too wild and then she lets her know how she feels by squealing at her!
  • I love her sounds! She is very vocal and talks all the time.
  • She has the funniest little rat tail that always gets tangled when she sleeps and I love to run my fingers through it to smooth it out while she drinks her bottle (I used to do it when she was nursing and I found it soothing)
  • I love the way she puts herself to sleep while rubbing her face in her ‘night-night’ stuffy and sucks on the corners of it… and because of that, I love the smell of said ‘night-night’ because it is 100% her.
  • She loves to be held and will just sit in my lap for long periods of time… this is probably the number 1 thing I love about her… I mean what mom doesn’t want to snuggle with her babies?
Emmy jo blog 18 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 19 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 21 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 20 (1 of 1).jpg
Emmy jo blog 22 (1 of 1).jpg
This picture pretty much sums up our life... Adam and I are usually laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.  In this particular moment, Emmy was flinging cake around and some landed on Lydia... which obviously she hated. Ha!

This picture pretty much sums up our life... Adam and I are usually laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.  In this particular moment, Emmy was flinging cake around and some landed on Lydia... which obviously she hated. Ha!

Emmy jo blog 25 (1 of 1).jpg

 


 

Adleigh Ann's First Birthday -- Mead, Colorado

A first birthday is absolutely a reason to get fancy. Little Miss Adleigh Ann's first birthday is a big deal! She has a lot to celebrate after all, she made it through 1 whole exciting year of being a baby. You know the more you think about it, it’s hard work being a baby… learning, growing, changing by the minute, relying on others for everything. But as she hits this milestone, things are going to get even more exciting!

Adleigh (3 of 168).jpg
Adleigh (15 of 168).jpg

So, yes! Put on that fancy tutu, fasten a giant bow to those lovely locks, rock the glitter and chase some balloons baby! It’s your FIRST birthday!

Adleigh (38 of 168).jpg
Adleigh (25 of 168).jpg

First birthdays are not only a huge deal for baby, they are extremely important to the parents as well. It’s a celebration for mom and dad for surviving a very trying year together. A new baby comes with many adjustments, lack of sleep, overwhelming emotions and lots of unexpected changes. New routines can feel chaotic. Simple tasks have now become stressful. ie. taking a shower! Anyone that has children totally knows what I’m talking about here. And the more babies you bring home, the more challenges you face. But you know what else comes with it? JOY! So much joy! Oh the joy people!! I mean look at her little face… she’s just so happy. I want to live in that happiness with her, don’t you?

Adleigh (96 of 168).jpg
Adleigh (48 of 168).jpg
Adleigh (53 of 168).jpg
Adleigh (124 of 168).jpg

Adleigh’s mom and dad are my heros. You see, she is baby number 3 for them and they model such grace and patience, it’s truly amazing to witness. I’ve had the privilege of knowing this family for several years now and they have been such a blessing to me. It was my honor to photograph this precious milestone for them. And their little girl was just so sweet… I had so much fun hanging on the floor with her, chasing balloons, singing songs, playing peek-a-boo (mostly with myself ha ha) and helping her mama with her fancy outfits. Babies are the best.

Adleigh (159 of 168).jpg
Adleigh (157 of 168).jpg

If you are thinking about documenting a special milestone in your family’s life, let’s talk! The days go fast, the years even faster. Relationships change, children grow, new life begins and loved ones pass on… photography is the most accessible way to preserve those family bonds. For more info, head to my contact page.

And to read a little more about why I love photographing families, check out this blog about newborns!

Thank you for stopping by! Don’t be a stranger ;)

Adleigh (152 of 168).jpg