i can't believe that i have to be away from this little person for at least 8 hours 3 days per week.

peek

a

boo.

dear little man,

mama's really really REALLY gonna miss you during those 8 hours

3 days

per week.

love mama.

sorry about that whole forgetting it's our anniversary thing.

really.  i kinda feel bad that i talked to you on the phone 3 times before i actually realized that i was forgetting
the date.

but i feel a little LESS bad, because you didn't say anything either.
which leads me to believe that you kinda forgot too.

and you can't blame being vastly outnumbered by children as an excuse.

it's funny ... i remember that eight years ago today this date seemed so unbelieveably important.  more important than anything else.  there was a dress.  and food.  and campsites.  and a bonfire.  and flowers.  and friends.  and family.  and champagne.  and cupcakes.  and you and me.

august 24th.

today though?
march 28th and may 3rd and january 26th feel a heckofalotmore important.

and november 16th.

because that was the day that i met you.
that was the day that i met the man that i was going to marry.
the one that captured my attention at a party.
the one that mentioned that he wanted two kids someday - the same as me!  (ha!)
the one whose side i never left from that date on.
the one that stood by my side in front of family and friends eight years ago.

geesh. eight years ago. a freaking blip of time when you think about it.  it's truly amazing what has come out of those eight years. 

thank you for loving me. 
even though i'm messy (but creative!) ... weird (but fun!) ... and forgetful (but make up for it by exclaiming on the internets! how! much! i! love! you!!!)

I LOVE YOU.

(please note the capitalization which basically means it's a big deal on this blog.)

fun at the beach.

cora and her lilypad, originally uploaded by jenniferlivolson.

today was kinda ... blah ... outside. which thwarted the plans of getting to the beach to play around and get a good picture for the i {heart} faces challenge this week.






beach fun.

so ...
i dipped into an old photo ... quite honestly one of my favorites of all time of cora. my sweet sweet ...

oh crap.
hold your horses.

i just found her in the sink. taking a bath.

let's start over, shall we?
my cora.
trouble. with a capital T.

who looks all cute and sweet and innocent in this picture at the beach holding her newlyfound lily pad.

memories.  i think that's all i have of my sweet sweet cora.

check out i {heart} faces for more beach fun entries!

sneak peek.

an official photo shoot. 
pinch me.
i'm actually doing this thing that i've dreamed of ... for so so long. 

it feels all-sorts of crazy and wonderful and perfect.

and so i really want to share it with you ... eventually ... i'm going to get a site that is a bit more official and less my-family-ish ... and more just photo shoots.  but still.  i want to share ... so until then ...

here it is.

three of my favorites from their session ...

her parents warned me that she has entered that dreaded cheesy-smile stage

whenever she sees a camera aimed at her.

... i caught a few of those smiles ...

but then i also caught this natural, just-being-her smile that i loved.

and this boy.

he took a little while to warm up ... and we lost him a lot faster than we lost his sister ... but he is an absolute doll.  and was so much fun to watch playing around on the beach. 

he made me not scared of the whole boy thing!

... sister and brother ...

collective *aw*.

thank you c family for letting me capture this moment in your life.

raspberry happiness.

there is just something about staring at this picture

that makes me so happy.

i don't know.

maybe it's the beer that i had after a rough rough day with baby. 

(teething?  maybe??  i swear i've used that excuse for awhile now.)

and the girly-girls.  ohmygod.  the girly-girls.  gah!

somedays, between the 6 and the 3 ... i can understand the necessity of boarding school.

but then i would miss them.  way too much.

oh.  the beer. 

i drank the beer while attempting to install the wireless router that has been sitting on my desk.

did you read that?  ATTEMPTING.

the wireless router can just suck it right now.

(pretty sure that was the beer talking.  sorry.)

let's all just go back to happier things.  k?

like this.

peaceful.  happy.  sleeping babies.

(sorry sd cowgirl.  this isn't helping your baby fever, is it?)

and if you aren't much of a baby person ... how's this??

happy little green 'matoes. 

that become happy little yummy red 'matoes.

that we can eat. 

in salsa.  and salad.  and stirfry.  and sandwiches.

and probably lots of other things that start with s.

and probably some other things that don't start with s.

but i'm too tired to think of them all right now.

g'nite.

rumors.

my dad said there are rumors that i've retired from blogging.

not true.

just busy-ness.
babies, kids, new cameras, trips to the park, good friends, vacations, cancelled vacations, new porches and patios, gardening, new photo editing shtuff, pooltime, really really good friends, photo shoots (seriously.), family ...

the list goes on and on.

you'd think i could find something to write about ...
there's just sososoSO much. 

and school starts so very soon. 
eek.

who finn is today. (or tomorrow if you want to get REALLY specific.)

hey baby boy,
we may not celebrate a multitude of tradition around our household ... but ... since mama has embarked upon this here blog one tradition has held strong ...

the half-birthday tradition of telling you who you were on this exact day ...

except ... the really funny part is ... your mama is usually at least 3 months late with this sorta thing!  BUT ... imagine this ... your mama is writing it the! night! before!!  crazy-talk, huh?

my dear finnamon ...
(like cinnamon.  only better.)
today ...
or tomorrow if you want to get all specific about it ...
you are six months old.  seriously.  it blows my mind.


























i feel like it was just last week that i realized ... after a nasty bout of french fry aversion ... that you were joining the family.
and it feels like just yesterday that i found myself unable to comprehend the blue that was joining our house of pink.
and i remember that day 6 months ago, when i pushed you into my hands ... like it was a mere moment ago.

and yet?  at the exact same time ... i feel like you've been here ... forever.

... little boy blue ...
this is who you are today.

--  you are the king of razzberries.  you get all spitty and drooley ... and absolutely adorable as you blow those razzberries like no-body's business.

--  you love the sound of your own voice.  and if it echoes (as was so LOUDLY displayed in target today.  thankyouverymuch.) ... ALL THE BETTER.  apparently.

--  you spit up.  so much.  happily.  butstill.  we use a lot of burp cloths.

--  and if i drink milk? wow.  you are not a happy camper.  so i don't.  still. 




--  you are finally FINALLY! a good nurser.  you always wanted to be.  and you always appeared to be successful ... but finally i feel like we've made it through the constant thrush and latching issues. 

--  you are a chunk.  and i mean that in a very good way.  the cellulite on your chunker little thighs is too cute.  (i only wish mine was that cute.)

--  tonight ... after much prodding to say mama ... you repeated the name boppa ... as he slept on the couch next to us.  figures.  (i'm just going to go ahead and tell myself that b's and p's are so much easier to say ... and that it isn't a REAL word yet.)

--  you can sit.  for a little while.  you still need a spotter.  but you are getting so strong.

--  you love to roll around.  i can walk out of the room having left you in one position ... and a mere moment later you have completely flipped around and are facing the opposite direction approximately 3 feet from where i left you.



--  you giggle when daddy plays peek-a-boo on skype. 

--  tickles can bring fits of giggles from you.  especially on the secret spot on the side of your neck.

--  your sisters can make you laugh just by jumping.  it's amazing.

--  maybe it's a third baby thing?  however ... you sleep better when it's noisy.  (but for the record, i usually tell the sisters to be quiet because it gives me a break.)

--  you just completed your 5th airplane ride.  to, within and from new york.  whew.

--  you slept through every single one of them.

--  you love cats.  and dogs. 
--  you laugh at the monkeys at the zoo.
--  you stare in awe at the aquariums.
--  you love other babies.
--  you hit your head with your toy hammer when you play with it.
--  you are curious and happy and inquisitive and full of joy. 
--  you love exploration.

--  you are definitely a mama's boy.

--  but ... you sure do love your daddy too.  unless he tries to give you a bottle. 

--  you don't love bottles.  still.  unless they have water in them.  apparently you feel very strongly that mama's milk really should just come from mama. 

--  you have LOVED every food that you've tried.
--  and don't tell your pediatrician ... but you've pretty much tried everything.  (i think that might just be a third baby thing too.)

--  blue is definitely your color.

--  there are constant extended family discussions about who you look more like.  mommy?  or daddy?

--  you are so sweet.  and definitely have the laid back surfer dude personality that i was expecting from you.

--  you. are. loved.

xoxo.
mama.