I see London, I see France...

Do you ever have one of those days when you intentionally forget about the 'to do' list and do what you love?  Ahhh....it is like a breath of fresh air, right?!  That's what Monday was all about.  My sister-in-law, who is becoming the other half of Mitchell Photography, and I found some time to just sit around the backyard with our cameras and 'play.' 

In a nutshell, Laura and her fam gutted a house to the studs and completely renovated it...themselves.  So as you can imagine their plates have been full...with a 2.5 year old and 9 month old.  One word: superwoman.  I couldn't do it.

And I digress...so we finally found some good mama time to shoot the boys in action.  And some time to play and experiment with photography.  And thus we are planning a trip to Murphy's Camera tomorrow.  Her purchase: 50mm/1.8.  Mine, not so sure, but I won't leave empty handed.  Probably a good mid-range wide-angle.  A good mutli-use lens for weddings.  Heaven knows I'll need it come October.  :)

And I'm going off on a tangent again...so here are two of my fav images from yesterday's session.  With the first one you have to understand our nephew is currently toilet training, so 'under-roos' are a new thing to him.  And with less bulk of a diaper apparently the 'britches' tend to sag.  :)  I think Elmo is playing peek-a-boo!!

And the other nephew...you just have to see in action.  I don't think words can describe him; especially his crawl.  You see, when we first started to crawl it was more like the 'worm.'  It eventually evolved into a gait of some four-legged mammal.  That's right, no knees touching floor; arms and legs stiff as boards, butt high in the air.  Our nephews never cease to leave us bored.  Here he is crawling through again, and again...and again...and you get the point...crawling through a tunnel. 

Hopefully we'll have more fun photo shoots with the kids.  Probably time for me to hit the sack!

What I Love About Him

5 months have flown by.  where did they go?  take some time to reminisce...what i'll never forget about my lil man...

1.  the way his feet still curl in, as if saying, "mommy, i won't forget the safe, snug womb where you nurtured and protected me for 9 months.'

2.  that sleepy toothless grin he flashes me every morning.

3.  his cackle...oh that cackle warms the cockles of my heart

4.  how he cries 'mamamamama' when he's sleepy

5.  the raspberries i hear being blown from the backseat in the car

6.  the midnight feedings.  i used to hate them.  but then i couldn't stand the thought of him being a teenager.  so bring on the rocking, lullabies, and snuggles.

7.  the proud smile that boasts, 'i pooped!'

8.  one word: footies (who doesn't love a baby in footie pajamas?!)

9.  the way his lips pucker up when he's concentrating (whether it be pooping, sitting, reaching for a toy, focusing, etc)

10.  the way his face wrinkles up when he cries.  it still looks the same as the day he was born.

11.  when he runs his fingers through my hair with a grin on his face.

12.  the cooing when his belly is full and eyelids are heavy.

13.  he clings like a baby koala, arms wrapped around my neck and shoulder, legs clamped around my waist.

14.  thumb sucking

15.  snuggling into my neck when he's sleepy.

16.  doing his superman pose as he teeter totters on his belly

17.  splashing in the bath tub

18.  coordinating outfits to match his cloth diaper (i'm a dork!)

19.  powder on the buns

20.  a wet, open mouth kiss (which leaves a trail of drool)

and so i must go to bed soon...7:30 will be here before i know it.  i am tempted to grab a few more minutes of snuggle time.  i trained him well to fall asleep on his own, but sometimes i regret it.  no amount of rocking or singing will lull him to sleep...he just wants to be put down.  to tuck his legs underneath him and let the thumb find its way to his mouth.  to snuggle under his blanket until the mr. sandman pays a visit. 

Cloth Diaper Mama

 

Raise of hands...how many of you were cloth diapered as babies, cloth diaper your babies or know of someone who uses cloth diapers?!  I was cloth diapered as a baby and I cloth diaper our son.  LOVE IT!  I also know several mommies who cloth diaper...some I went to high school with.  Give me a shout if there's anything you want to know!

Already cd?  Interested in cd?  This link will tell you more about it...and you can sign up for free stuff!!!  I haven't won yet, but there are always coupon codes (when you sign up for newsletter @ KellysCloset) for free diapers, free shipping, and other merchandise.  I've received 4 FREE cloth diapers! 

A Bitter Sweet Farewell

We knew this day would come.  As with all good things, they do come to an end.  We spent 2 1/2 years with beloved Tig.  There was always the unknown of when he would go.  That unknown came last night, September 2, 2010.  Ok, enough of making it seem like he died.  The reality of it is he went home with his original owner. 

July 2008 Tig came to be part of our lives.  How?  Long story short, Nate's brother had a newborn and a house on the market in Minnesota.  To keep the house in 'show-condition' it was easier for the cat to leave for a while.  So during their visit that summer, we offered to take the cat for a little while.  A little while turned into 2 1/2 years.  You see, Tig lived to be an outdoor cat when he lived in Kentucky the first time.  Once he moved to Minnesota he became an indoor cat, unaccustomed to the blistering, frigid, cruel winters of Minnesota.  Back in Kentucky he always begged to be let out; afraid he wouldn't come back we outfitted the patio furniture with a tie-out leash and harness.  Yes, we actually tied the cat up.  Dont' feel sorry for him, he was spoiled in other ways.

As newly weds we happily shared our bed with our newcomer.  Tig became very fond of Nate; so fond I must say the cat got more snuggle time than me!  He grew to love Nate more and more.  Next thing you know the cat pretty much took my place in the bed, right next to my dear husband. 

We allowed bad table manners.  You see, Tig has 'dairy tooth.'  You know people have a 'sweet tooth,' well this cat LOVED anything with milk and cheese.  He knew the sound of a bag of cheese being disturbed in the kitchen and therefore came sprinting in, only to beg for the slightest shred.  This led to him putting his paws up on the kitchen table.  Ice cream?  Don't even think about eating it while he's around...unless you want a paw to take a swipe when you least expected it.

So anyway, the cat was spoiled; slept in our bed, put his paws on the dinner table, was let outside when he wanted.  Oh yeah...I almost forgot; he wouldn't drink from a dish, so we let the water run from our bathroom faucets.  Oh yes, we bent over backwards to make sure he felt welcome in our home. 

Unfortunately he was diagnosed with kidney disease last summer.  As old people are set in their ways, so was this cat.  He would not eat the prescription diet, so he continues on his way with his cat chow.  His almost daily accidents (due to kidney disease) finally sent my husband overboard.  I was going a pretty good job of keeping our white carpets white, but it came to be too much.  Nate wasn't playing Mr. Nice Guy anymore.  And so that evening his brother came to get his beloved cat. 

Tig will have a nice retirement out on the 1+ acre lot, a scenic view from the screened in porch and all the little rodents he dares to prey upon.

I must say, he is missed.  We still do things out of habit, such as quickly open and shut the outside doors so he doesn't escape, look for him when we open the bag of cheese, expect to see him when we flip on the light in our bathrooms (waiting patiently for a drink of water), and there seems to be more room in our bed.  :)