It’s been a month…. really, it’s been 6 weeks, but who’s counting? It’s more fast paced around our house than ever before. Two kids who are both young and needy and completely dependent on us makes for busy days. However, I’m trying to realize each day that we will look back and miss the oversized chunky cheeks and mis-spoken words in toddler-gibberish. One day we’ll be running big kids to practices and activities and we’ll miss all of the tiny-person questions coming from the back seat… and the feeling of being so needed and loved, when nursing my baby makes everything right again in their world. I’m trying to cherish it all, even the hard parts.
So what are the hard parts with Baby Graham? Well, he’s a great sleeper…. I have no complaints in that area!! We are SO grateful! Just last night he slept from 10pm to 6:30am and then we both went back to bed from 7am to 8am! What a dream, right?! Honestly, the hardest part was at four weeks. He went through a week-long phase of not knowing how to be content and happy while he was awake but not nursing. I worried he was going to be categorized as “colicky”, but around week five that started to change. We figured out what he liked and what made him happy. Dada would walk him down the driveway, he LOVES baths, he learned to love the lights above the kitchen island, and he loves laying on his changing table… just out in the middle of the kitchen.
Graham’s hair is so similar to Evy’s and his vocal chords are similar to Evy’s. He can SCREAM! But he’s also extremely snuggly and it’s so sweet. He’s really strong and it can make getting his onesies on quite a challenge. He loves to be swaddled even though he acts like he hates it at first. He’s not a smiler yet…. only in his sleep or when he’s nursing… but we know the real smiles are coming and I can’t wait!!
We love this little boy so much. I still feel weird saying “Michael, who’s going to watch the KIDS that day?” or “What are the KIDS doing right now?”. We have KID(S)…. plural! I love seeing Michael walking around the house holding a little baby again. It’s a sweet season for us. Everywhere you look in our house, you can see reminders of Baby James and when you see those images while you’re holding Baby Graham, it makes you hold him a little tighter. We celebrated Baby James’ first Birthday when Graham was just a week old. I worried about whether or not it would be hard for me to love another baby boy after losing one the way we did with James but that isn’t a concern at all. If anything, James’ life makes me love and cherish Graham MORE and I’m so grateful for that.
When Baby Graham was three weeks old, we started our wedding season! Whew! What a whirlwind. We have photographed three weddings in a row and while it has been hard to leave such a tiny baby at home every weekend, it has been good for me to do what I love and get out of the house!!!
This first month with Baby Graham has been wonderful and redemptive. I never want to forget how grateful I am for this baby boy and this new season of our life. Here are some moments and memories I don’t want to forget:
It’s hard to believe I’m writing this… my fourth birth story in four years. I’ve given birth in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Just typing that makes me tired….. and so grateful…. unbelievably grateful. These last four years have been the best and hardest of my life. We cherish being parents and welcoming a new baby is hands down the most incredible thing we have ever experienced in our 18 years together. I’m so excited to introduce you to our newest member of our family and tell you the story of how he came into this world!
Whether you’re brand new to business or have been in business for quite a while, this brand new Youtube video is for you! Michael and I, early on in our business, struggled to relinquish tasks to other professionals outside of our business. Really…. It was more of MY STRUGGLE than his.
Welcome to December’s Student Spotlight!! It’s a new month and we have new photographers to celebrate!! I’m so thankful for them and for their willingness to give of their time and share their stories!!!
This shoot was supposed to happen about a month earlier on the exact day that leftover rains from a hurricane swept through Washington. I’m so thankful we rescheduled! Our reschedule date was absolute perfection! The temperature, the glow, the locations…. it was beautiful! Tyler and Abby’s outfit choices were wonderful and the leaves were full of color and still hanging on the trees.
When Michael and I were in our early years of dating, I would go on trips with his family for Thanksgiving and summer trips to West Virginia and I spent time with his cousins! “Bri-Bri” was so little! He’s the youngest of all of the cousins and it’s crazy to think that he’s old enough to be getting MARRIED! He’s actually older than we were when we got married!! We have known Shannon for years and we were THRILLED when we heard that Brian had proposed because we always hoped that would happen!!!
Maybe it’s just me…. but I feel like this fall is FLYING by! It seems like just the other day that I was sharing about three more KJ Students who are doing amazing things in their businesses! Well, this weeks marks the beginning of November and I have three amazing students to introduce you too!!!