Notes from mama

So I think this may have been the longest I have ever gone without blogging! Mostly its because I did not have any pictures to share and I figure you would not want to read without some eye candy, but I will give a little update! Kind of sad that I don't have pictures considering my career! Oh wait I just remembered these pictures I haven't shared.

Pretend! Carsyn is digging pretend right now! Im talking hours and hours of playing with baby dolls. She dressed and re-dressed them countless times yesterday. Changed their diapers several times too- with actual pull-ups, wipes, and all! She loves to pretend!

Music! She also LOVEs music and dancing! Loves it! I had to hide the Wendy's cd she received this summer in a kids meal because while I too dig some motown I was done with it! We sang "Aint no mountain high enough" more times than I can remember! Yesterday in the car the radio was on low and she yelled "Turn it up momma- Ice Ice baby is on!" That's my girl ;)

Feelings- Carsyn is learning the different feelings recently and associating the faces I make with them. I hear about a million times a day "Momma you mad at me?" So we have to explain different feelings. She loves to put her finger up by her chin and say "Hmmm... curious?" Also yesterday she slammed the door in her friend's face (SOOOO unlike my sweet child, really Im not biased she is super sweet to others (a trait of her dads not me!)) and when I scolded her she just burst into tears I think from feeling guilty for being ugly. Carsyn is a very sensitive child. This attribute makes it quite difficult to reprimand because scolding her just makes her cry harder. I really don't know how to handle this!

August is flying by pretty quickly! Since it is normally the longest month of the year I am happy! However I know what lies ahead! October (my favorite month- no not because I have a birthday ;o) is always the fastest. AND this year will probably be the fastest we have ever seen because #1 I move into my new photography studio!!!! #2 Ill be busier than a hive of bees (yay!) #3 school will be kicked into high gear #4 We go to the Bahamas with my parents.

Speaking of school I am not sure how this year will go with Carsyn because she is actually going to two "schools." Some may think I am a bad mother but Carsyn will be attending two schools! One on Wed and Fri from 8:30-11:30 which is her school from last year. And on Tues and Thur from 8:30-11:30 at Southwest Community College's student preschool. The reason I did this was because she has friends at both spots and it was way cheaper to do SWCC to add two extra days than to do three at CUMC. I think my child will adjust just fine. She loves to be with people and kids. Im sure there will be a few tears as usual but she has been going to Mother's Morning Out for the past month and like I said her friends are at both spots. Fingers crossed I made the right decision! Both schools are just 5 min from our house (I sure do love living in city limits!) so easypeazy!

Naps- So this summer Carsyn has gone to bed MUCH MUCH MUCH later than she ever has before. But she also sleeps a little later than she used to. I don't like her going to bed right before me but I do enjoy her sleeping later in the morning! I am not sure how the time change will rock our world this year. OH I do HATE that time of the year! So this summer she has been great about taking her nap even saying "Okay I ready to go night night!" What my child wants to sleep? Come again? Usually for about an hour and half to two hours. But just this week I have noticed her naps are getting later and later which means she goes to bed later and later. I am hoping we are not getting to where we don't need a nap or much of one! I think Im willing to let her stay up late as long as she still naps for that midday silence! We did have a random event this week (although this entire week has been totally random- nothing going normal!), she went to bed at like 10PM (seriously got in bed at 8:45 she just wasn't tired!) and then awoke at 6ish. She has not been up this early in months! So at 9:30 we are about to head out the door and I had been blow drying my hair and I look over and she is passed out on the couch! WHAT?! She slept for about 45 min and then of course took no afternoon nap even with my coaxing! I REALLLY hate that she has her dad's sleeping habits because that is totally him!!!! BUT that night she was out by 8:30 and slept until 8!! Oh well I do dread the day of no nap!

Terrible Twos- I would have to say that Carsyn was more terrible at 18mos than she is at almost 3. The tantrums have picked up a bit here lately. And oh the whining! UGH! But I can't say that we have had any really really difficult discipline problems. Hyperness (is that a word?) has seemed to appeared! She will just run squealing at the top of lungs and bouncing off the wall but Ill take that over whining any day!

I do shake with fear at "the trying threes" we are about to embark on!

So that is a brief update on my Carsyn Belle. She is a super sweet child who loves to be with others and share. She is her mommy and daddy's best friend and makes us laugh daily.

A trip to the Coast

So for the past several months I have been attempting to get together with a family from Slidell so I could photograph their son who has cerabal palsy. I was notified by this amazing organization (Littliest Hero) that I was chosen as his photographer. Since they are a little distance from me I figured when I went down to my in-law's coast house one weekend that they could meet me their and have a shorter distance to drive. Attempt in June- failed. Attempt in July failed. Both of these not my fault by the way! So then I started looking at my calendar....



Dad gets home July 28th- Carsyn wants to go on Dad's boat- Mom goes back to school on Aug 2nd- I have no available weekends again until Sep. So I realized that this past weekend was the only weekend that I could go to the Coast, see my dad before he leaves for work again, let Carsyn ride on his boat, and hopefully meet this family I have been trying to photograph!




Then after I had confirmed the plans with Dad and Slidell family I asked the Smith's if they wanted to join us to ride on my dad's boat. The more the merrier, right?





THEN by happenstance a couple in Hattiesburg called me to come photograph their engagement photos but they wanted to do them in Hattiesburg. So timing was perfect and Carsyn and I left on Friday ( a day earlier than everyone) and headed to the "burg."




Also on this Friday my mom and aunts were closing on the sale of my grandmother's home (their childhood home and the place I have spent every Christmas since I was born except for the year Carsyn was born.) So we made a detour in Columbia to take some final pics and say goodbye. For some odd reason my chld decided to awake at 4AM this morning and never went back to sleep so you can imagine the disposition she was in!


Okay so stay with me I know I am jetting in several directions.....



So we continued on to Hattiesburg and after a massive couple of meltdowns in Target I headed to my mom's apartment for our 2nd nap of the day! After awaking we were both in better moods! Then it was onto my photoshoot which was in Canebrake so not only were the people beautiful but the scenery was as well!



Saturday morning we woke up to head to Gulfport with my mom to visit Lynn Meadows Discovery Center. I have been taking Carsyn to children's museums for several years but she just now finally understands the concept of play and pretend so she enjoyed it immensly! And I have to say Lynn Meadows was one of the best I have ever seen! Better than Mobile and Memphis!

Afterwards we met my BFF from college Ashley for lunch. Then I headed to her new house to see her expecting baby's nursery! I can't wait to meet Miss Ava Kathryn and take her sweet newborn photos! After awaking from her nap Carsyn and I headed to meet Pappy at the Coast house so he could watch her while I FINALLY met my Slidell family!

I was a little apprehensive about photographing the boy in this dreadful heat but he was a good sport and we were under the giant oaks of St. Stanislaus campus so we actually were probably a good 10-15 degrees cooler! My dad attended this school and while I was photographing I kept envisioning his skinny young self runnning up and down the stairwell I was using as a prop! It was a very inspiring and enjoyable shoot and reminded me the real reason I am passionate for photography. This young man was never supposed to walk or talk but at age 14 he has proved them wrong on so many levels!

Once Danny and the Smith's arrived we all went to dinner and then back to the house to crash! The next morning it was up early to go water skiiing and tubing on the Jourdan River. Yes Carsyn went on the tube with Danny and she loved it. She was in complete awe the entire time we were out! She didn't say more than 5 words she was just taking it all in! My little observer! After a couple of hours in the water we had all had enough! This heat is INSANE! And I was quickly reminded while on the water skis that my body is definitely not as it used to be!

After lunch at Uncle Perry's we headed back to the house for naps. Later that night we returned to Mccomb! A very funfilled and memorable weekend was had by all!