more of the beautiful 6 month old baby Shaylyn!

i put more photos of baby shaylyn on my photography blog, just FYI. maybe i'll add some favs here too. 

6 month old baby Shaylyn!

I just finished a huge project (a gift so I can't tell you what it is), but had to at least look through these pictures from a photo shoot from today.  Don't you just LOVE this little baby?!  I do!  I didn't edit this b/c I should get to bed by 2am today.  I have to drop off boys, pick up girls, then be in Tampa at 7:30 am (which is earlier than I ever wake up). 

But I just HAD to post one pic real quick. 

I was playing w/ my new lense.  There sure is a learning curve!  I think I should have closed my appeture to be safe, but I love the blurred foreground and the bukeh in the back. 

I actually have been eyeing this location for over a year.  I finally knocked on their door and tried to ask permission.  They weren't home, so we shot in their side yard anyway.  Shaylyn's dad said "you guys have no limits, do you?"  I'm sure I have limits, but I've been waiting and waiting, and who would say no to this cute baby girl anyway?  I left a note to say thank you.

The love of a mommy . . .

. . . and the trust of a child.

Are you ready for Mother's Day? 

This picture got me in the "Mother's Day spirit." 
Is there such a thing? 
There sure should be, there's a definate Christmas spirit, and an excitement for Easter. 
Mother's Day is in the air, or should I say water:).

This little guy was in swimming lessons and was cold waiting for his turn.  It took coaxing for him to do anything his instructor asked.  But he did anything his mom asked even after the long cold lesson.  She had faith in him and knew that he could hold his breath and go under with her.  And isn't this mom beautiful? 

Spring Time {right in my own backyard}

The water is 78-79 degrees.  (not 88-89 like they typo I just fixed.)

My Fegers like it warmer, Malia is crazy.

A peach tree, thanks for planting it, mom.

Who wants to go swimming?!

snacks in the sunshine

FRESH fruit salad,

 & turkey hot dogs hot off of the grill.

(take off the shirts, Dad isn't here to get the strawberry stains out)

Sweet perfume from the orange tree blossoms

Potty training. 

 Now you see undies and shorts . . . now you don't. 

At this point in Isaac's life, I'm praising him for streaking b/c his undies are dry. 

Hopefully this phase in our lives won't last long though. 

Ramen on another day.  Just add hot water.  Easier than making 4 PB&Js b/c I seem to get interrupted every 70 sec to break up a petty fight.  (Dylan is a tattle tale, and not an innocent one either.)  Actually, I'm having Dylan make his own PB&Js since that's his favorite food.  He adds honey between the BP and the J. 

Little Mermaid! 

I love that she brought a little mermaid swimsuit over to match the little mermaid tail I'm working on.

3 Blonde girls who let me put bows in their hair! 

They're helping me wait to try to have a little girl of my own.

More peach tree blossoms.  I don't remember these last year.

eye contact

sometimes cuter than eye contact shots

Yes I got in the pool so that the other 6 kids could too.  One lifeguard to 6 kids is good, right?!  Only the girls swam though, and I knew the boys would stay on the stairs.  When the water warms up, who knows if I'll be this brave/stupid.  They may all want to go in at once! 

MAN I love April 2010.  My studio is preparing itself (pools are getting warmer and everything is green again).  Flowers are blooming.  I can run in the evenings even after I have done a bit of procrastinating.  It's daylight, the pool isn't getting as much tree-litter in it, and we can go swimming!  AND I have my first "participating instructor" fishy face photography photo shoots this month too.

Name That Tune

This is Isaac's favorite song right now.

4/17/10 - Stop reading if you don't want to know the answer yet.

only Kat should know by the tune/timing, so i'll go ahead and answer. it's the 1st article of faith (for our church). He omits the first 5 words, then it sounds like "under water" instead of "Eternal Father." He also doesn't say the "s" sound, or the "f" sound. 
Here it is,
"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."

a big boy bed story, featuring Isaac

How long should it take to get a baby to sleep through the night? 

Isaac is 2 years and 2 months old. 

Key word: 2. 

He's quite the smart yet stubborn little boy.  At night, he goes to bed just fine.  He goes in his crib just fine, but then either cries for us (for no reason) or simply climbs out.  If he cries, he can be all hot screaming and sweaty for EVER, and doesn't give up.  We'll let him cry to sleep, but feel bad for Dylan.  Isaac will even go in Dylan's room, but more often, he'll quietly creap into either the "monkey bed" (surf monkey sheets), or into our bed.  Our floors creak in some spots, so we hear him.  We have to repeatedly keep putting him back in his crib, making sure he has blankets, books, toys, a sippy cup, and his music on.  He'll eventually sleep 'til sometime after sunrise, then he'll cry and Steven will go get him.  My newborn-hearing-any-little-movement-ears have gone back to my regular sound sleeper ears. 

Finally, Steven had had enough.  He took Isaac to Wal-mart, let him pick out some big boy bed sheets, washed them, made the bed, and Isaac went right to bed, no little tantrums! 

He didn't wake up 'til 7:45 or 8! 

Breakthrough!

But wait, there's more.  Tonight, I took some pictures.

Here he is in his super hero big boy bed.

He has his sippy cup and blankets. 

He seems content, right?!  Pretending to sleep. 

Good night little big boy!

Meanwhile, Dylan is usually hiding behind the door or doing headstands on his bed when I go in to tuck him in.  He's so silly. 

And sweet.  He too still needs his blanket and sippy cup. 

He used to have us paint the yucky stuff on his thumb nails, but he outgrew that in less than a month. 

We warned him that when he turned 4, he couldn't suck his thumb EVER again.  He seemed worried.  We told him that we would have to take his blanket away forever if he still sucked it.  (He only did it in his bed with his green blanket.)  On his birthday night, I didn't say anything, but the next day, we did the yucky (no nail biting) polish on his thumbs.  He was excited for it, actually.  He knew it would help him.  He watched me pretend to taste it and be so grossed out that I don't think he even ever tasted it.  He would request it before nap times and bed times.  That stuff works when you have a motivated little 4 year old! 

Well here's Isaac, still being coaxed to sleep.  He requested books.  He was overly tired, so he was putting up a fight.  Steven went back in there 2 or 3 times, then I finally ended up laying with him until he fell asleep.  He tossed and turned, but always had a hand on my skin.  On my face, neck, or arm.  He loves his mommy, so I don't mind staring at his little soft cheeks and long silly hair while he goes to sleep. 

We'll take down the baby crib and will put Dylan's bed in there with Isaac so I can make room for my fishy face photography stuff in the junk room where Dylan's bed is now.  J/k.  Maybe we'll rent out that room, or we'll make a real office out of it, or I'll organize my crafts and photography props.  More likely, it'll come close to being the key to get me on that clutter/junk show.  What's the name of it?  Steven and I each threw out a bunch of stuff after watching a couple of episodes in a row. 

Strawberries, messes, and more strawberries!

Last month, we went to go pick our own strawberries.  I've had people ask which farm in Plant City we went to.  Sorry, we were getting lost trying to go to one advertised in the St. Pete Times and stopped at this one b/c there were "U Pick" signs.  It only cost $1 for 4 of the 1 quart containers. SO worth it!  Here is Isaac with a clean shirt.  He learned pretty quickly what to do and is a natural!

Dylan was so proud of himself for only picking the most perfect ones.  He didn't know he could eat them 'til I told him it was ok. 

Isaac went right to work.  Eating, I mean. 

Note his container is EMPTY!

Dylan ate some and liked them!

He asked why we were only picking the red ones.  I told him to try one of the green ones to learn for himself.  He didn't like them, but took more bites b/c he thought he was supposed to finish it. 

We started showing off the ones we thought were the most perfect. 

Steven picked this big daddy one. 

I thought this one looked pretty perfect. 

Dylan thinks this one looks like it has wings and could fly! 

He was telling me a funny story with it here.

Back to Isaac, working hard! 

No basket needed, that would only hold him back. 

Isaac took a snack break from all of his hard work.  Steven was calling him (and me) telling us it was time to go.  I could stay there all day!  I was playing with my camera settings trying to get the sun and shaddows in the right places yet getting blue skies.  I haven't mastered that at all, but it's fun to play!  Isaac and I are a lot a like.  Steven and Dylan had to fill our baskets for us:)

I found another pretty perfect strawberry, and got the lighting where I liked it. 

Isaac agreed with the perfection I had found!  Too bad the exposure for the strawberry and sky didn't make for perfect lighting on his face.  I still love the image anyway:)

Not as much as I love my boys and their messy faces! 

Steven washed Isaac's shirt and it didn't come out with ANY stains on it!  We invited my family over for fresh strawberry shortcake.  Isaac asked for more, and when I pointed to the ice cream, he declined.  He didn't want the home made pound cake my mom made, nor did he want the the cool whip.  He wanted more strawberries! 

Then we watched The Blind Side. 

What a good family day!

an evening out with my boys

This is the best life. I have a mini van so I can tote all of my kids around. It's dificult to answer the question of how many kids I have b/c it often feels like the list changes by the day. Last Wednesday, for instance, I had 13 kids in my care. (Different locations and different families, but still.) Anyway, on this particular day, my count was 7 for the day, but only 4 at this park. Isaac was the monster here, in case you couldn't tell:)

I think Marc looks like Isaac's big brother here.

And Jake makes a really good big brother too. 

here's a picture of me, to prove that i was there with my pocket cam

Marc caught a "zebra fish," as Dylan calls it.  He caught a couple that evening, actually.

Jake is there to entertain us with trying to pick the lucky case. 

We didn't pick the right one:(

And here's a real fishy face, not to be seen on my cutesy fishy face photography blog:)

eew.

"I'm just a girl who cain't say no . . .

. . . I'm in a terrible fix."

I'm from Oklahoma, so I've seen this play, "Oklahoma," a couple of times.  I can picture Chrissy belting this song out wondering why I don't know the words.  (I was home schooled but her school did the production each year.)  I keep singing this song to myself lately.  Not about the kissing boys back part, but I'm going to be the Pinellas County Dental Hygiene Association president again.  It's good, but I feel like I've been there, done that, will still stay involved, but there's just a LOT of late night emailing and presentation forming and meeting announcing and planning involved.  It's all easy, but is busy work.  I needed busy work when I volunteered last year.  Isaac wasn't a newborn any more, I wasn't the church young women organization's president any more, and was feeling the deep desire to serve.  This year I feel like I serve pleanty, and there are other areas where I could be of more use.  The truth is, if I weren't busy with PCDHA stuff, I'm sure I'd fill it with something else.  I was and am happy with that decision a year ago, but realize that
I'm just a girl who

                               cain't


                                           say


                                                            no. 

"I aint the type that can faint, how can I be what I aint?"

motivational speakers

I've been listening to bunches of motivational speakers on CD lately.  (Have I told you that this is the year that I'm going to be wildly successful at everything?!  - well it is.  The secret is hard work, no sleep, then taking naps where possible, making moments count, having a husband that can tolerate occassional messes and will take over, research, awesome friends and family, and saying yes to work.)

Anyway, those CDs, although great, are nothing compared to live inspired motivational speakers.  You know the feeling when you are in an auditorium with other people in your same situation listening to the same speaker who is getting you pumped up?  Well, now I get to not only listen to, but can watch general conference - live!  But from my own computer desk.  (So can you, by the way.)  It's broadcasted around the world in a bunch of different languages, and if you listen, you can get that same feeling of being in an auditorium or conference center with different people in the same situation as you.  There are messages of hope, love, and yes, hard work!  You don't have to log in or anything, it's just streaming audio or video at noon and 4pm my time-EST (Sat 4/3 and Easter 4/4).  I'll be listening to the archives late at night while I work too, I'm sure this next week.  I dare you to listen to one of the talks.  I know they are inspired, and are for us in this time. 

While I'm on the subject of church, I really should give my talk to you I gave at the beginning of the year.  I'm not going to though b/c it's late and my shoulders are begging me to take a rest and get a massage from Corrrie.  But, I'll tell you about me telling the congregation about goal setting part of my talk. 

I chose the goal of reading my scriptures daily, and for some reason felt impressed to urge the church members to do the same. (Everybody already knows he/she should search the scriptures daily, so it's nothing new.)  Anyway, I gave tips and scriptures to back it up etc.  THEN, out stake came out with goals for us.  The daily goal is to read our scriptures!  How cool is that?!  The weekly goal is to share our testimony of the gospel and of Jesus Christ to somebody.  It could be to our kids, our parents, or to friends etc.  The monthly goal is to do family history work and/or go to the temple.  I've been once this year, and started Chrissy's temple work too!  The anual goal is to visit every member of our stake in his/her home.  I've done some of that too. 

So get motivated - keep your New Year's Resolutions, and read your scriptures!  If you don't have any, read online or I'll get you some.  K, I'm going to go read and go to bed.  Happy Easter!!!!

underwater Easter egg hunt

We waited in line, and didn't get in to the first session. 

The lifeguards are smart and didn't let us all in at once. 

We went in and waited some more.  Ella's mom told me about the hunt, then Malia and Noah and their cousin Olivia went too!  All 6 kids are in this picture.

It was worth the wait!  look at all of those floating eggs!  They didn't have candy in them, instead they had little erasers, stickers, and "gold" coins etc.  I love it! 

This was taken from under the water.  I cropped the rest of Isaac out and put it on my fishy face photography blog. 

We didn't stay b/c we (Steven and I) had gotten enough sun on our backs at that same pool the day before.  I'm glad I had put sunscreen on the boys, they didn't get pink at all.  We played with sidewalk chalk, went for a jog, and Steven took them to see a movie and to Publix the rest of the day. 
Oh, and I'm excited about this pool because they are enthusiastic about having me go on a designated picture day each swim lesson session!