loulou::1 month

this is not an original idea. thanks to pinterest, i discovered a photographer mom with a brilliant method for keeping up with her son's development. i thought this would simplify some to the record-keeping i want to do as a mom... i haven't been as good to do this for charlottes., but, i'm going to start documenting more of what she is saying and doing in a similar fashion.

Age: 1 month
Weight: 9lbs. (gained 19.5oz in 14 days!)
Length: don’t have a current measurement… 20.5in at birth
Size: 0-3 month clothes; started wearing size 1 diapers today
Eyes: Blue, and a little crossed since they don’t focus well yet. So cute.
Hair: You were born with angelic, shiny blonde hair, about a ½ inch long… it has grown some this month.
Teeth: none

Nicknames: LouLou, Louisa-Greys., the loulounator, loulou lime, and louritto [when swaddled and resembling a burrito.]
Sleeping: knows nighttime from daytime… sleeps well with noise around… has a long stretch in the morning, shorter naps throughout the afternoon/evening, and a longlong stretch at night. I am still pretty sleep deprived because we have an hour nursing stretch around 3am then our morning starts around 5am, nursing, then getting up with charlottes… you prefer to sleep on your tummy, but, unless you are closely monitored, i put you on your side.

Naps: throughout the day [see above]. nothing scheduled as of yet.
Eating: breastmilk, and loving it.
Movement: you are a mover… like to be put on tummy; you try to kick and hold head up. When being held, you hold up your head and look around some, bobbing lots.
Milestones: being born! nursing.
Outings: first outing with just mommie and charlottes. was to mail some things at otter coop; you slept the whole time… first outing as a family of four was to Krause berry farm w/ aunty karla and JB… first time out just the four of us was to get ice cream in ft. langley one evening; you had to nurse while we were at both of those places.
Favorite toys/activities:  eating and sleeping, being swaddled, being talked to and kissed!
Words/sounds: we call you “snorts” sometimes because it tends to be something you do a lot. You get hiccups a few times a day. You coo and grunt… your cry is louder and more intense than charlottes. was; i wonder if you are particularly passionate.
Memorable moments: one moment, memorable for being scary, was your first night home. You choked on mucus and didn’t breathe for about 15 seconds. Daddy and I were starting to get very concerned ‘til you coughed out the flem and proceeded to burp a bunch… sort of heart-stopping for a few moments. There’s so much in your first month to remember!! The first time we saw your face, found out that we had another girl (just what we wanted!), when charlottes. met you in the hospital, introducing you to many friends and loved ones. Mimi and Grandy and LeaLea have been here a week and it has been wonderful to watch them enjoy holding you.

personal::shooting for myself

as a professional  photographer, sometimes it can be easy to lapse into a rut, of sorts. i love my job, the work, the people, the chance to create something special with my clients... it's my personal goal to create something unique with every client; this drives me to stay creative and i love it. sometimes though [and perhaps more rarely than i'd like to say.], i take time to step outside my comfort zone and refresh my perspective... last weekend, i rented a tilt shift lens. and, in taking this picture, reminded myself of why i love photography. to look at it, there is a lot of room for improvement. by no means did i master this new technology on the first try. but, i felt giddy trying, just like the first time i picked up the nikkormat ft-3 my aunt marty lent me, that time when i thought every photo i took was a work of art, when everything i took brought me sheer joy, whether or not it had proper composition, exposure, and focus... that feeling was untainted by the need to please anyone but my burgeoning inner artist.

i love that this photo brought that back to me.

((click to enlarge and see the lovely birds flying above their perch. i could have shot this all day.))

sneak peeks::portraits

on saturday, i headed out before the sun for a day of portrait sessions... what an awesome day! i shot three sessions, in many different locations, and had a great time with each unique subject group. here's just a sampling of what was captured. there are tons of favorites, but, for one reason or another, these three stood out.