My baby is growing up...

I am finally getting around to sharing Paxson's 9 month photos.  I have so many photos of Pax, but I hadn't taken any formal portraits of him in awhile so it was time.  This was a quick morning shoot, and only lasted about 15 minutes, but I am happy to have a few photos to hang on the wall.  

I can't believe how fast my little man is growing up.  It kills me how much he is starting to look less like a baby and more like a little boy.  I love seeing his little personality shine though in photos.  He is a thoughtful little guy, and will sit and play with his toys while I work or do housework.  He is content to play on his own, but loves when mom, dad or Penny join him.  He is very generous with his smiles and love, and he gives the sloppiest kisses.  He also loves to cuddle with me before naps and bed.  He lights up when daddy comes home, and his daddy always brings out the best belly laughs.  He finally has two teeth that just came in at 10 and half months, and I think his baby blues are here to stay.  His blonde hair is coming in thicker, and people are finally starting to think that he does in fact look a bit like me.  There is nothing funnier than when Penny sneezes, and her ball his one of his favorite toys.  He doesn't crawl, but he rolls, and scoots, and army crawls and does what Grandma K calls the "guppy."  

It is hard for me to believe that I hadn't even met him a year ago, and now he is my life.  Sometimes I need to just write these little things down so I don't forget them.  He changes so much in such a short time, and my hope is to have loads of photos of him that tell his life story, but I also want to have written words to share with him.  Luckily this blog helps me with that.  When I go to make his 1 year album, I can include these little posts about him because I don't want to forget that he pulls my hair and face to get me close to his to give me kisses, and that he fake laughs when I laugh just to be in on the joke or that he shakes his head no no no and then smiles at himself and does it again.  It is all so worth remembering.  

 The photo below is his model pose.  Probably only a photo a mother could love.

 Those eyes melt me....

 So thoughtful above and so excited to show mommy and daddy below.  

My Best Friend's Wedding

I was not the photographer for my sister, Carley's wedding.  However, I did have my camera handy for parts of her wedding weekend.  It was nice to be able to enjoy the weekend, and just take photos for fun without the pressure of being the "pro" photographer.  Carlie Breen Photography captured the big day, and she did a wonderful job.  I made sure to have my camera handy while Carley was getting ready.  I second shot during the "first look", and myself, along with whoever else grabbed my camera, captured some candid photos from the reception.  I also took some photos at the rehearsal.  Below are some of my favorites from such an amazing wedding weekend.

The wedding ceremony was held at my family's ranch, and the reception was at the beautiful Sacajawea Hotel.  The ladies also got ready at the Sac.

Some bridal portraits inside the historic hotel

 The rain was coming down and poor Carley was a nervous wreck...She looked so beautiful waiting out the rain.

We were sitting in my aunt's van waiting for the rain to let up enough for the first look.  Well it hadn't completely stopped raining, but all Carley wanted to do was see her soon to be husband.  So the first look took place in the trees during a light drizzle.

Only wedding I've been at where a flash mob took place.  Such a fun thing to take part in!

Also the only wedding I've been at where the bride ends up on someone's shoulders during her favorite song, Mony Mony.

the happy couple near the end of the night...

Congrats again Car and James!!!  Such a fun wedding, and I could not be happier for you two and for the next chapter in your love story!

My baby boy is 6 months old!

Everyone always says, "Enjoy them while they are little because they don't stay little for long."  How true that is.  There were so many nap times in those early days where I thought to myself, you really should lay him down and go take a nap yourself.  Most of the time, I just kept on cuddling my little newborn, trying to memorize all of him.  His smell, his cute little "Bird" mouth, the sleepy smiles and sounds.  Even though I tried my hardest to enjoy those moments, and be in that moment with Paxson, it still feels so long ago, and like such a haze.  Some of it is probably because I was exhausted.  But, it really does go by so fast, and before you know it, you have a slobbery, loud mouthed, rolly, giggly, baby who resembles that newborn, but is becoming such a little person.  It is amazing the growth both physically, and developmentally that takes place those first 6 months.  Looking back at photos, I am still astounded at how much Paxson has grown and changed.

It is such a bittersweet feeling watching your baby grow.  I feel so grateful for each milestone reached, and yet at the same time, there is a small ache at the realization that Paxson won't stay little for long.  I think part of it is because I have enjoyed and loved Paxson so much at every age, and it is hard to let go of that age.  Sometimes it is definitely trading up, and that has mainly been the case, but I also know he will reach ages that are difficult for me as a parent.  He won't always want me to hold him, he soon won't fall asleep on my shoulder, or giggle during peek-a-boo.  It makes me sad to think about, but I try to think about how fun that next age will be, and how awesome it is to watch him learn new things, and become his own person.  So during the sleepless nights, (because Paxson has been an awful sleeper lately) I try to cuddle my baby at 2am,  and remind myself that this too shall pass.  It won't be long before I'm longing for those late night nursing sessions, and for the baby that wakes up needing his mama.  

Now for 6 months worth of photos crammed into one post...

This is one of the first Photos taken of my son.  I had my camera ready in the delivery room for my sister to snap a few photos of our first moments together.  I am so thankful for these photos even though most of them won't be shared on here (or anywhere) as my nurse was getting ready for the "baby crawl" so my boob makes an appearance in most of them.  

This is one of the first photos I took of Paxson.  It was after he was bathed, and we were still in the delivery room.  The nurse must have thought I was crazy as it was 2 am, only a few hours after Pax was born, and here I was snapping photos.  

The day after he was born.  His skin looks yellow in this photo because it was yellow.  He was a little jaundiced because he was early.

Snuggled with daddy the morning of the day we went home.  So much hair!

One of my favorites.  He was just a few days old, and the weather was nice enough to be outside so we did a few family photos.

5 days old

8 days old-Paxson's birth announcement.

2 weeks old

 Another at two weeks.  One of my faves!

About a month old during our Christmas card photos

Christmas card photo

 The next three are from his 3 month old shoot

With his auntie at 3 and a half months.

 At almost 4 months old for his Valentine's Day cards.

With mom on Valentine's Day

 At 5 and a half months old.  

 I have taken so many photos of my little man, but these are just some of my favorites. Maybe sometime I will share some of my phone photos as I have a ton of those as well.  I will hopefully be taking his 6 month photos this weekend weather permitting as I am dying to shoot him outside.  Fingers crossed it gets done!