Ten on Tuesday- Late Night Edition | Columbus Baby Photographer

1. That smile melts me. Especially when it is accompanied by his newly acquired skill of clapping for himself. Seeing his joy reminds me of what I love best about being a mom.

2. Wes has been officially crawling on his hands and knees for over a week now. He is using his prowess to get in to everything and climb and pull up on things. I am in for it!

3. My poor teething baby is getting 2 top teeth at the same time. He chews on everything and now willingly takes the tylenol he used to spit out.



4. Evan is now completely potty-trained. He declared one day about 2 weeks ago that he wanted to wear underwear, and we never looked back. Even overnight! I am so proud of my big boy! When he sets his mind to something there is no stopping him.

5. The best sound in the world is hearing Evan encourage his little brother. "You can do it Wes! Great job, Wes- I knew you could do it! Way to go little buddy!" It actually brings tears to my eyes to type that it makes me so proud.

6. Before his naps and before bed, Evan always asks what we will do when he wakes up, and what we will dream about. He always remembers too, so I have to be careful not to deviate from the plan.

7. Evan has been starting conversations with everyone lately. "So, what did you dream about Mommy?", "So, Daddy- how was your lunch today?", "So Omi, what are Grampa and Molly doing today?" I don't know where he gets this from... certainly not me...



8. See that picture? That is on Father's Day at North Star Cafe. Chris is telling Evan not to tell anyone that we just let him have a chocolate cookie for breakfast. (He had some sausage too, don't worry.) I love the way Chris and Evan interact.

9. At that same breakfast, Evan declared "Mom, I just peed in the urinal and it was AWESOME! I'm gonna ask Santa for a urinal for Christmas!" This got a few good laughs from the adjacent tables.

10. Speaking of urinals, I got to see the one at Target today after Evan refused to go to the bathroom in the ladies room. Bless the nice man who made sure the coast was clear for me. Oh, and if you wanted to know- it was surprisingly clean. I guess I always thought the men's room would be stinky!

Doctor, Doctor- give me the news | Columbus Child Photographer

"I gotta, bad case of loving you". Did I ever tell you that I am a human jukebox? It's true- just ask my husband. Or my parents- who got to listen to me sing every song on the radio on countless road trips.

Back to the matter at hand- Evan got the cutest Doctor costume from my sister for his birthday- and he gets very in to checking his patients. He gives them all shots- poor dears!




The stuffed animals got a clean bill of health, but Evan has been diagnosed with a not-so-mild case of PCS (Photographer's Child Syndrome)!

Wordless Wednesday | Columbus Child Photographer

***Stay tuned for a very special "What to Wear Wednesday" next week!***

In the meantime.... (I am totally cheating on this wordless thing!)

Ten on Tuesday - Baby Mine Edition | Columbus Baby Photographer

It is still hard for me to believe that Wes is 8 months old already. The time has flown by. So, what should you know about my littlest man?

1. His favorite song is "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley. It always calms him down. If you try to sing anything else- he cries.

2. He just got his first two teeth last week. I will miss his gummy smile.

3. He is just discovering the joys of being mobile and I will often catch him army-crawling as fast as he can towards any object he is not supposed to have.

4. His hair is sort of blond- especially in the sunlight. I am not sure where that came from, but I love my blond-haired blue-eyed boy.
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5. When I hold him on my hip, he pat-pat-pats his little hand on my chest. It makes me melt.



6. He has slept in my arms every night since he was born, and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is nothing better than waking up to your sweet baby in your arms.

7. Sometimes he laughs in his sleep. It makes me wonder what he is dreaming about.

8. He is not crazy about food- but he loves to drink water from a sippy-cup.

9. When he gets excited- he lifts up his arms by his head and shakes them. It is like he can't contain the glee!

10. He is such a calm, laid-back baby. It is impossible to be around him and not feel at-ease. In a family full of high-strung first borns- he is a welcome edition!

Weekend Magic | Columbus Child Photographer

There is just something special about the weekend. Even Evan knows it. On Friday as I put him down for his nap, he said "Mommy, is tomorrow when Daddy stays home with us ALL day long?". I told him it was, and he got the biggest smile on his face and said "I is so excited!" He knows what the good things in life are.

We spent Friday evening at a park and then went out for hot dogs and ice cream. On Saturday, we went to "Day Out with Thomas", and Evan got to ride on his hero- Thomas the Tank Engine. As far as weekends go- this one was pretty magical. Especially if you are almost 3.

It is wonderful to have children because they remind you of the magic of everyday. Of those little moments you don't want to forget. The sound of their laugh, the way the sun shines off their hair. The smell of fresh grass, and the feel of sand between your toes that somehow snuck it's way in there at the playground. If I could bottle it up and save it somehow- I would.

I know someday I will look back on these pictures and smile. I hope years from now, Evan will still find this much joy in his daily life. If I had one wish for him- it would be to never lose the magic in his heart.

Flashback Friday | Columbus Family Photographer

I was digging through some old files and ran accross these pictures from April 2007. Evan wasn't even a year old yet. Now my baby is almost 3. It goes so fast, and I don't have nearly enough pictures of the two of us together when he was small. I always thought I was too fat, or looked too tired, or my outfit wasn't right. Now I just wish I had the picture- because those things don't really matter. This year I have been working on a project: 52 Weeks- My Kids and Me, so I will never have another year that goes by where I am in so few pictures.

My kids mean the world to me, and they are the biggest part of my life. I want to have the pictures that show that. And you know, looking at those pictures, and the ones above- I don't see the bags under my eyes, or the baby weight I haven't lost yet. I see how happy I am, and how beautiful my children make me.

Take it from me- get in the frame. You'll never regret it.

Ten on Tuesday- Kids Say the Darndest Things Edition | Columbus Family Photographer

Some recent little gems from Evan:

1. "I just have nipples, right Mommy? Not boobies?"

2. "I think the mommy duck and the baby ducks are eating sandwiches and broccoli because those are their favorite."

3."That water really quenches my thirst, Mommy." (I kid you not.)

4. "I love you so much, Mommy. I am really proud of you for listening to Daddy's words." (Hold on son- I wear the pants around here. Don't I?)

5. "Oh no, Mommy. Daddy can just do that." (After I told him I needed to go work to earn money for the family.)

6. "Boys have penises and cars. Girls have parties." (Obviously the age appropriate birds and bees talk we gave him didn't quite translate.)

7. "I just want some peace and quiet now, Mommy." (After he turned off my Taylor Swift cd.)

8. "No mom, I don't think that would be perfect."

9. "I like making shenanigans, Daddy!"


And this one, oh, he will kill me for this someday, but it is too good not to share.

10. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! There is something in my pants!" *frantically strips off pants and diaper* "Oh- it was just my penis."

Introducing Wesley James!

Meet Wes, my own little man. He made his debut on September 16 at 6:51pm. He was 7lb 7oz and 19.6 inches and just pure perfection! I am so in love, and I am sure there will be plenty of this little face for you to see in the future!