Tag: Antioch IL Newborn Photographer

Posted on

3 things I learned from my first christmas as a mom {Lake County IL, Newborn Photographer}

andrew-christmas-2016-04

This was our first Christmas as a family of three! It was a time for my husband and I to figure out what Christmas traditions we wanted to start in our family…do we visit Santa? Do we make Christmas cookies? Do we make any special project off of my Pinterest board that I pinned years ago just waiting for this day to arrive!?!?

While I wish I could say we did all of those things and more, the truth is, we didn’t do anything.

Nothing…nada…zero…we didn’t even set up our Christmas tree or bring out one item of Christmas decorations.

The reasons we didn’t do anything are numerous…ranging from illnesses to new furniture delivery the day before Christmas (great timing on our part for that one). I had my moments of sadness thinking how could I not give my baby a first Christmas with decorations and a tree! What kind of mom was I!?!? But then Christmas came and went and as I look back I realize how silly I was…

  1. I realized that my son currently has no interest in Christmas decorations. We saw trees at other homes and my little guy could care less that the tree existed. He was more interested in his toys or where mommy was than a decorated tree.
  2. I realized that Christmas traditions are all about spending time together and making memories which is what we did, even if nothing we did was Christmas themed. I will have the memory of watching the excitement in my son’s eyes as he proudly takes the toys out of his toy bucket one by one and tosses them to the ground or the memory of the huge smile that washes over my son’s face when he hear’s the theme son to Daniel Tiger or the best memory of all and watching him learn how to say “mama”.
  3. I realized that life moves too fast and I need to cherish the fact that my son is only 7 months. He can’t sit up completely yet without falling over so how did I expect him to help make Christmas cookies! My son falls asleep in the car instantly so how did I expect him to drive around looking at Christmas lights that he couldn’t even see! There will come a time when we can do all of those things and more but right now I need to sit back and enjoy the simple fact that my little guy is 7 months old and his current joy is just laying on the ground chewing on his toys.

Being a new mom comes with so much pressure to be the picture perfect mom that I’m a little glad for my son’s First Christmas we focused on spending time together as a family instead of starting any holiday traditions.

There will be plenty of time to start those traditions, but right now, my little man would prefer to just spend time with his mommy and daddy and that is what we did!

andrew-christmas-2016-10

How did you spend your Baby’s First Christmas?

Print

Posted on

Dear Little Man {4 Months Old}

Dear Little Man,

How can you be four months old already? Our time together at home just you and I has come to an end and you recently started going to daycare (or “school” as mommy calls it so she feels better about sending you every day). It’s been an easy adjustment for you, but a hard one for me. I miss you something terrible when I’m not around you but I know that allowing you to make new friends and learn all you can at school is very important. As you are getting older I’m starting to see your personality coming out with how you act in different situations and experiences.

You are a stubborn little man, a trait that I know will come in handy someday. You don’t give up on something until you get what you want. Case in point, you are a finger sucker, any finger will do, multiple fingers will do, just so long as something is in your mouth. When you first started sucking your fingers you had a hard time getting them into your mouth and would end up scratching your little nose in the process. Those little scratches, while I’m sure were painful, didn’t stop you from continuing to work on getting what you wanted, your finger in your mouth. Now, a few weeks later, a few healed scratches later, and a regular nail trimming schedule put in place, you have mastered your finger sucking skills.

You like to push things to the extreme; I view it as more like learning your limits, I guess. Something that again, will be a great trait to have as an adult…maybe not so much when you are a toddler, but we’ll chat about that when you get older. How do I know you like to push your limits? Well, you don’t settle for just one finger in your mouth at a time or even two fingers in your mouth…you like to try to fit as many fingers from both hands at the same time in your mouth. Your daddy and I now play a game at night called “Guess how many fingers Andrew has in his mouth.” It’s a game we are terrible at because you continue to change your strategy and stretch the capacity of your little mouth.

You love to laugh and are a very happy little man. Your teachers already talk about how happy you are and how much you laugh during the day. Your little giggles are very contagious and they make me and daddy laugh right along with you when you are in one of your little laughing fits. Anything will really make you laugh but silly songs are a true winner in your book as a way to crack you up. You have a few different laughs, at least three, which I can tell from already.  One is your common every day laugh, its normally just one or two little giggles that you tend to give when I make you smile and say “hi”.  Your second laugh is a bit deeper in tone and it is the precursor to your fast paced giggle.  Once we hear this laugh we know the laughing fit is about to start. Your third laugh is my favorite and it is a high pitch, fast paced laugh that includes the occasional snort here and there. When you get going on this laugh I have a hard time stopping myself from laughing along with you (or at you, in truth).

Lastly, you love to talk. You started chatting early, at about 6 weeks, and you haven’t been quiet since! We talk about your dreams at night, how school went that day, how much you are loved, really anything under the sun you will talk about. You get this trait from your daddy. He loves to talk and so do you. You get so proud of yourself when you make a new sound and then you proceed to continue to make that sound over and over again for a good hour all while laughing in-between making that sound and taking a breath. I can’t wait to hear your little voice when you actually say words beyond the little squeals and squawks.

Life is already going by so fast but I just wanted to take a moment to stop and think about all the little things I’m seeing you do right now. I can’t wait to see what next month will bring you!

Love,

Mommy

andrew-september_0141-small

Posted on

Becoming a Mommy {Lake County IL, Newborn Photographer}

Becoming a mommy…has been the most amazing thing I’ve experienced so far in life. I know I’ve been a little quiet lately and truthfully I’ve sat down over a hundred times to post something or write about something but my little man has pulled me away; a distraction that I eagerly give my full attention. During these past few months I’ve learned how much one’s life can change.

Becoming a mommy…has showed me how quickly time goes by. One day he’s tucking his legs up under himself and falling asleep against my chest and the next day he’s stretching his little legs out as far as they can go. Every day I wake him up and realize he’s learned something new or has grown in some little way. Time feels like it is on warp speed some days.

Becoming a mommy…has showed me that you can love more than you ever thought possible. I never thought I would be happy to be awake at 4am or smile as I’m wiping baby puke off my shirt. Hearing little baby chatter or seeing his big grin as I sleepily walk into his room are moments that fill my heart fuller than what I thought possible.

Becoming a mommy…has made me realize that you can’t plan anything because a little 13lb, 24inch, drool covered boy has the real control. You can try to force him, try to trick him…but in the end it’s better to just let him drive and you join the ride.

Becoming a mommy…has made me an expert on google. I’ve realized that with becoming a new parent you will search everything possible on the internet, even after people tell you not to. You need reassurance that your baby’s poop is normal, that your hair will eventually stop falling out, that your child doesn’t have some crazy illness and instead just a little cold. For some strange reason, there is comfort from a stranger online.

Becoming a mommy…has showed me how much stronger I am than what I thought. I knew I could be stubborn and a fighter but after going through delivery and recovery my perspective on what I can do has been altered. I am one strong woman.

Becoming a mommy…has made me feel proud in my body. I have accomplished a dream of mine that I’ve been working towards for almost 5 years and I’ve put my body through so much and in the end it brought me my little man, perfect and safe. What more could I have ask for?

Becoming a mommy…has changed my marriage. The change though, has been for the better, a better I didn’t even think was possible. I have fallen in love with my husband all over again, but in a different way.  A way that showed me how amazing he can be with our son, how helpful he can be while recovering from delivery, how loving he can be while my emotions are adjusting from becoming a mommy.

So I ask that you please forgive me for being quiet lately…I’ve been experiencing this crazy life change of becoming a mommy.

andrew-newborn-08andrew-newborn-03andrew-newborn-02

Posted on

To-Do List {Lake County IL, Photographer}

Life is messy…life is crazy…life is stressful…but most of all life is beautiful.  Do me a favor and stop for just one second and think about a few things…is your sink full of dirty dishes, is there a pile of laundry outside the hamper waiting for the washing machine, are there toys laying in the hallway that you stubbed your toe on? We all get behind on daily cleaning or get upset when we trip over little John’s toys, but what if you think about things differently?  What if the sink full of dirty dishes means you chose to spend time with your family over doing those last few pots and pans? What if that toy you tripped on means a house full of giggles and silly faces?

We all get caught up in feeling we are running a race that will never end and instead of feeling defeated, feel empowered.  We have the ability to make choices every day that affect our happiness. I want you to today to choose happiness and being present versus being overwhelmed by your to-do list. What will an extra few hours do those already dirty dishes? What will an extra action figure on the floor do to floor?

Honestly, this is a big struggle of mine. I struggle with putting my to-do list before my family. I struggle with being present with my husband and we don’t have any little kiddos to take my attention away. I feel like there is always something to be doing, a box to unpack, a floor to be sweeping, a load of laundry to be folding…but what I forget is that doing these things takes away from time I can spend with my husband enjoying each other. There will always be time for the to-do list, but life shouldn’t be fully mandated by that list.  Today I want you to choose to do something that isn’t on your to-do list…or even better yet, re-write your to-do list to include something that will make you happy like have a tickle fight with your kids, pop in a favorite movie of yours and enjoy it snuggled up on the couch with your family, go for a little walk enjoying the beautiful sunset… pick something that will make you happy. Be present during that time and let go of the to-do list and life’s craziness to enjoy it…I’m pretty sure your heart will thank you!

What are you going to add to your to-do list?

Posted on

New House Update {Lake County IL, Photographer}

So we’ve been in the new house for two and a half weeks and I thought it would be fun to share a little update on how things are going, what I’m learning about, and what I’m struggling with…

What I’m struggling with:

1. I live in Sherwood forest! It’s official…nature and I need to become one with each other. In the short time period we’ve been at the new house I’ve experienced two deer in my backyard, Steve the snake in the front yard, and was introduced to Moochie the muskrat when he got stuck in our egress window. I’m not really a nature person so getting to experience these lovely creatures has been quite the treat.
2. Unpacking boxes is a never ending struggle and if I never see another piece of cardboard in my life it would be amazing. I never realized how much two people can have until faced with the daunting task of opening millions of boxes just to find that one power cord we tossed in a box marked “Office”. Ok, so maybe I’m exaggerating a bit…but trust me, the boxes are still all over with no end in sight.
3. Silence, they say it’s a golden thing but I’m struggling with embracing the silence of our new house. We are located on the outskirts of town with a beautiful little wooded area directly behind our house so quietness is ever present and with a house that doesn’t have much furniture, I can hear the cat’s claws click on the wood floor when they walk by. I’m sure there will be a time I miss this silence, at least that’s what I tell myself to keep my sanity.

What I’ve learned:

1. My husband and I make a pretty good team.
Example 1: We went shopping for the first new piece of furniture for the house and the clerk was impressed with how efficiently we are able to make a decision. Little does she know we spent 10 hours prior looking everything over before going into the store…but that tiny detail doesn’t matter.
Example 2: We managed to save Moochie the muskrat from dying with a little 5 foot piece of wood, a chunk of carpeting, a few screws, and a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. He ran the drill and I ran the peanut butter knife. It was a rough 48 hours that also included a broken broom, packing tape, a bucket, and numerous carrots but those were just casualties of the expedition.
2. 5 extra stairs really start to add up when you constantly forget things upstairs. Opps, my glasses are in the bathroom…opps, my shoes are in the closet…opps, my phone is charging on my nightstand. At the rate I’m going, I will have buns of steel just from doing a thousand trips up and down the stairs every day.
3. Planting roots feels pretty amazing. I never realized that buying a house would bring with it so many wonderful feelings. I have waves of calmness flood over me when I realize this is where our future children will grow up, this is where my husband and I will grow old together, this is where so many memories are going to be made…the feeling of uncertainty is gone and instead a feeling of peace and excitement for what our future holds.