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My husband always checks the mail. Its just one of those things in our marriage that is pretty routine and always the same. He’ll say to me, “did you check the mail today?” And almost every single day I reply, “nope.” Upon which he rushes to the curb and checks our mail. He is more optomistic toward the mail than I am. I’m always expecting nothing but junk and bills, nieither of which I’m very excited or eager to get. Anyeay, a few weeks ago, for whatever strange reason, I decided that I was going to beat him to it and actually check the mail that day. (I know…I walk the wild side) So, I stroll to the curb, I open the mail flappy thing with my eyes closed and secretly wish that there is a million dollar check in there with my name on it. (don’t we all?)

And was there that million dollar check? Yea, right.

There was no million dollar check that day but there was something better. From the mailbox I pulled a nice brown wrapped package, the kind that you know instantly has something special inside of it. I don’t think the postal service even requires that special things be wrapped in brown paper anymore, but I love it. It just makes everyhing thaaaaaaat much better. I look down, hoping that it didn’t have Jeff’s name on it so that I wouldn’t have to wait to open it. It didn’t. It had my prescious baby boy’s name on it, which is as good as my own in terms of who is going to do the unwrapping. So I rip open the package as fast as my fingers will go genlty and delicately unwrap it, making sure to protect whatever is inside.

I open the box and the contents of the box brought a tear to my just-a-few-weeks-post-preggo-and-maybe-still-slightly-hormonal eye. It was a little boy with a straw hat and a fish, it was Jackson’s very first Grandpa Tyndall carving. It took me two years of dating, two years of marriage and a whole lot of begging charming Grandpa to get mine. Jackson got his as quick as the mail could get it here, and he didn’t even have to ask.

Granpa Tyndall is Jackson’s Great (in many many ways) Grandfather who is 91 years old and could run circles around us all. He is sharp and witty and loving and cute as a button. He is the man, the husband, the dad, the care taker, and the leader that I want my son to one day be. He absolutely blows my mind every single time I am around him. If I am blessed enough to still be around when I am 91, I can only pray to be as good of a human as Grandpa Tyndall.

My own grandparents have all passed away, none of them got to meet my husband or my son. I feel privaledged to be able to be apart of my husband’s family and to have grandparents once again. I am even more excited that Jackson has great grandparents that get to be a part of his life. (He has all four on Jeff’s side!) It is my hope and my prayer that Jackson is able to remember his great grandparents when he is older, but if not, he’ll always have his special carving that was hand carved and painted by his great grandfather just for him.

I think thats pretty special.

Last night I began thinking about updating my blog and planning the post that I was going to write in order to do so.  I had two of my very best friends {in the whole world} here this weekend and so the obvious choice was to tell you all about them.  To tell you how both of them were friends of mine since college, yet I feel as though I’ve known them since birth.  To tell you that both of them are beautiful, talented, and amazing in their own ways.  One is a kind heart that makes friends everywhere she goes, always open to accepting people just as they are.  She  loves traveling and cultures and learning new things.  She inspires me to be more open and accepting and less scared of the unknown.  The other, is a singer, a conductor, a musician…He has the ability to make the most beautiful music you’ve ever heard and he will be famous one day, of this I am CERTAIN!  He is witty and funny and gets my humor.  We can sit and talk and laugh and cry together for hours and it seems like mere seconds.  They are both truly special people, near and dear to my heart, which is where they will always stay.  always.

So, my intention was to type a nice long post about them and show you some fabulous pictures that I took of them this weekend.  When I woke up this morning to feed the baby his early early morning bottle, I had a hard time falling back asleep afterward.  I can only lay there so long before I start thinking about the things that I could get done with this time and I get up.  This morning, however, I was particularly irritated at the fact that I couldn’t get back to sleep.  As you can imagine, sleep is hard to come by these days and this morning, I just needed to get a liitle bit more.  It wasn’t happening.  So, tired and frustrated {at myself} I came downstairs and starting catching up on other people’s blogs.  (Haven’t had a lot of time for that either lately!)  As I was scanning, reading through my bookmarked blogs, I somehow clicked a link that led me to a stranger’s blog which led me to another stranger’s blog…etc. until I stumbled across something that was truly humbling.

As I read through her post, I learned that this sweet family had a little girl who was completely healthy as of January 1 of this this year.  The child went to the doctor for an ear infection that wouldn’t go away and they discovered that she had cancer.  The doctors, the family and the child fought hard for roughly two weeks before that precious little baby went to Heaven.  As I read her mother’s words of sadness and sorrow, yet tremendous faith, I was humbled.  My heart and my tears just poured for this poor family, I cannot imagine what that is like.  I cannot imagine the heartbreak of having a seemingly healthy child one day and losing her a few days later.  I think it would be very easy for that mom to become deeply depressed and intensely angry, but she didn’t.  Instead, through it all, I read several time where she thanked God for getting to be that baby’s mother and where she was thankful for the way her daughter’s short life will change someone else’s life.  I was so sorrowful for this family but I was touched.

I think as a parent it is very easy to get caught up in life and to become frustrated at the day to day tasks at hand.  I know in the short 7 weeks that I’ve been a parent, there have already been times where I’ve been frustrated or disheartened over something.  It’s never at my child, more at the situation.  Just like this morning, I was so irritated at myself for being up and not being able to go back to sleep.  However, after reading her words, I am thankful.  I will take a thousand mornings of getting up to kiss my son and share some time with him.  She has reminded me to cherish every little thing in life and to realize that the seemingly tough tasks that are sometimes at hand, are really gifts in disguise.  I am so thankful for my child and that he is healthy.  I am thankful for every moment I spend with him, every kiss I am allowed to give him, and every smile he gleams my way.  I am thankful that this mom was so faithful to God through her tragedy and I am thankful for the way she and her daughter touched my life this morning.

From time to time we all need a little reminder of the gifts in our lives.  

Just though I’d share.

Be Blessed.

A good friend of mine asked me recently if having Jackson has made what I do mean more to me. Before, I always thought that I loved photography and so I understood exactly why people cherish the photographs that I take of their children. I thought that they saw the artistic value in these images and appreciated the good technical aspects. But now, while they may in fact appreciate those things, now, I get it. I get why a photograph of a newborn baby can make the mommy cry. I get why a photograph of her child smiling with big bright eyes can just melt her heart. I get the fullness of it now. I can even look at a photo of Jackson that I would’ve once thought horrible and see the beauty. I’m happy when I feel as though I’ve acheived the artistic, technically perfect photo, but now, I’m happy even if its not all those things. Its still my child and he still means the world to me. Even a bad photo of him can bring a tear to my eye. Ahhhh, motherhood. It’s a gift.

Here are a few photos of the cutest twins!!! This is the second time that I’ve been able to photograph them and they have gotten so big!! I couldn’t believe that these two bright eyed babies were the same little peanuts I photographed what seems like yesterday. They were such a pleasure to photograph and I can’t wait to do it again! They have terrific parents who love them so much. As I was photographing this mommy and her twins, I could just see her love wash over them. It’s such an honor to be apart of that. It just never gets old. Enjoy!

There are a lot of photographs in this one, it may take a minute or two to load. Also, besure to turn your speakers on!
 

It seems like only yesterday that sweet baby Nicholas came into the world. It seems like only yesterday we were all gathered around him, marveling at how teeny tiny his fingers and toes were. It seems like only yesterday he was so small and snuggly and fit perfectly in the crook of my neck. It seems like only yesterday he was asleep in my arms and I’d kiss his little cheeks. It seems like only yesterday we saw him smile and heard him giggle for the first time. It seems like only yesterday…

But somehow, some way, its been a whole year since this sweet little baby entered our lives! He’s babbling, laughing, crawling and jumping like little boys do and I love it! I love watching him grow and change and turn into the little man that he is. Thank you, dear friends, for sharing your child with me and allowing me to be a part of it all! I can’t wait to see what this next year brings! I love you guys!

Happy first birthday Nicholas!

***Before I begin this post, I just want everyone to know that I am having surgery on Tuesday (nothing too too major, just my gall bladder out) and may be away from my email/computer for a few days.  The doctor tells me the surgery is very easy and recovery isn’t bad but I just want everyone to know that if it takes me awhile to get back to you, that’s why.  Any prayers or good thoughts sent my way would be greatly appreciated! ***

I can hardly believe that my peanut is one month old already!  How is this possible?  I try each and every day to savor every little thing he does and to take it all in but it still feels like its going by way to fast!  I’m looking forward to all the things that are to come but I am also enjoying the present.  He is so small and sweet, I love to just snuggle him up and spend all day with him.  I love his tiny fingers and tiny toes.  I love how his little head just fits so perfectly in the crook of my neck.  I love his little noises and his sweet looks.  I love it all!  I decided when he was born that it probably wasn’t possible for me to take his picture all day every day like the photographer in me wants to, so I instead compromised with myself and let one picture a day be okay.  I plan on making him a book after the first year, kinda like a baby book photographer style! =)  Here are 30 photos from our first month together.  Enjoy!