Guess Who's 7 Months Old!

Yep! Sweet Hannah bear :)

Isn't she stunning? I could stare at her all day!

So sweet and innocent :)

Laughing at Mommy

Peek-a-boo!

Sucking that bottom lip...

Hannah's Mommy made her headband!

Hannah and Mommy

And...in true Hannah style...we MUST end the shoot with a grumpy face! I know it looks like she's laughing, but she's really "fake crying" :) Oh, sweet Hannah. You can't fool me!

"Wha's dat mean?"

That's my least favorite phrase of all-time (ok...maybe just the past two weeks...).

I'll share my pain with you. Here is a conversation that Toby and I had earlier today:

Toby: Miss Saaaaaaasin?
Me: Yes, Toby?
Toby: Where we goin' today?
Me: We're going to the library after we drop Sam off at school.
Toby: Oh. Wha's dat mean?
Me: You know what that means. It means that we're going to the library to read books.
Toby: Oh. Wha's dat mean?
Me: What do you mean 'what does that mean?'?
Toby: Huh?
Me: Oh, boy...
Toby: I'm a boy, Miss Sassin! Wha's dat mean?
Me: {Praying silently to the Lord for PATIENCE to get me through the rest of the day...or at least through the car ride :)}

Toby has a fabulous vocabulary...but "wha's dat mean?" is (unfortunately) his favorite phrase to use right now. I can understand him asking that question about things he knows nothing about, but he always asks "wha's dat mean?" about something he definitely knows the answer to (or at least a question someone has just told him the answer to). It's like he just wants to hear me answer him (fifteen times in a row). It drives me bonkers.

On the way home from school this afternoon, it was Sam's turn to be tortured:

Toby: Wha did you do at schoo today, Sam?
Sam: We went to the FIRE STATION!
Toby: Oh. Wha's dat mean?
Sam: Well, it means that we went to the fire station to see the firetrucks and the firemen and...
Toby: Wha's dat mean, Sam? Wha's DAT mean???
Sam: It means that...well...that...I already told you what it means.
Toby: Wha's DAT mean, Sam?
Sam: Nevermind. Let's not talk about it right now, Toby.
Toby: Wha's dat mean?
Sam: I want to be quiet.
Toby: Sam?
ME: Toby, let's play the "quiet game"...

I unashamedly LOVE the quiet game (and I'm pretty sure the boys love it, too). Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me sane in a world full of endless questions from a two-and-a-half-year-old, you know?

:)

Please Excuse Me...

...but I need to rant and rave for a moment before I blow a gasket.

I've recently gotten back into taking photos on film (with a really cool "fisheye" camera that Hannah's Mommy gave me for my birthday). Film has been around for a LONG time and I assumed that taking my film to a drugstore would be not only cheap but fool-proof. Well...you know what happens when you assume...

I went by the drug store (that shall remain nameless) to pick up my roll of processed film and CD of scanned negatives and was appauled by what I found in my package.

I dropped off a 24-exposure roll of black and white film. There were only 14 negatives in my envelope. Of course there was no one at the photo counter for me to confront at the time...so I took my (14 out of 24) negatives, CD of scanned images, and receipt and left the store hoping that ALL of my images would be on the CD. No such luck.

When I put the CD into the computer, this is the first image that popped up:

Ummm...NO.

There are several things wrong with this photo: a) it's upside down, b) it's scanned into the computer backwards, and c) it's not framed correctly. Those would be some pretty cool photos...IF SOME MORON HADN'T CUT THEM THE NEGATIVES IN HALF AND SCANNED THEM WRONG! Uhhhhhh!!!

(Just in case you were wondering, this is what a fisheye photo SHOULD look like:

Much better, huh?)

Did I mention that I even left specific intructions on the package noting that, yes, the frames would be ROUND but that was normal...and, no, I didn't want any special treatment to the negatives (like CUTTING THEM IN HALF)?

That's enough ranting for today...but you can bet that I still have a bone to pick with the photo technician at the drugstore-that-shall-remain-nameless...and I WILL be getting my money back.

Ugh.

Aaron sent me this photo as he was walking out the door to go to work this morning:


Yes, that's my Nikon D200...and my awesome SHOOTSAC that Hobbes decided to make a bed out of.

That'll teach me to leave my stuff lying around the house...

The Time Has Come...

...to start potty-training Toby! Can you believe it?! Me neither.

We're throwing a "Potty Party" today! The morning started with lots of cheers and excitement, presents (a potty book and big boy underwear!), and 6 trips to the potty (so far).

After we take Sam to school, our day will continue with lots of juice, cupcake-baking, and more trips to the potty. I think we'll be camping out in the bathroom for most of the day.

I'll be updating our progress on Twitter from time to time for anyone who cares to keep up with how the party is going (LIZ!) :)

Here we go...

Hannah Elizabeth

Six months ago, two of mine and Aaron's best friends were blessed with an incredible gift from God. I would like to introduce you to little miss Hannah Elizabeth:

I've been photographing Hannah since her very first days of life and am thrilled to (finally!) be able to share her story and photos with you.

I asked Hannah's Mommy (and one of my best friends in the entire world!), Lindsay, to write a special post about Hannah and the miracle that she is. Without further ado, I give you Lindsay's words:

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

I have felt the power of God’s Word to me in this verse for many years. Some of my most vivid childhood memories include children; cousins, neighbors, kids I babysat, my brothers. When I was 13 years old, someone asked me the age-old question; what do you want to be when you grow up?

My answer? A Mom

When asked what kind of man I wanted to marry;

My answer? Someone like my dad

It’s funny, those answers weren’t received well very often; like they weren’t good enough. Want to know the other funny thing? God has blessed me in such a way that almost 3 years ago I married a man just like my dad. He’s a strong Christian, a man of integrity, a hard worker, and an incredibly supportive husband. And for an added bonus; he shared my passion for kids and my dream of having a family. Another bonus? He wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom!!

We prayed for God’s guidance as we began trying to start our family. We prayed for wisdom and patience with His timing and His plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11). We waited. And waited some more…

Well, maybe God had a different plan for us. That happens sometimes, ya know!?!? Quite often we think we know what’s best for us only to be proved wrong by our all-knowing Savior. I’ve started thinking that we are blessed. To have a Savior, a Creator, who cares so much about us to give us only the best… wow!

So after 2 years of prayer, frustration, and more prayer, God blew us away and blessed us abundantly; He gave us our daughter, Hannah.

The day we brought Hannah home is a day that will be forever etched in our minds. It hit us hard; God had been forming this precious life for us, shaping her, shaping us so that we could be prepared for each other; Jeremiah 1:5 says;

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”

Man! How much does our Father love us? As we looked into our newborn daughter’s eyes, we knew that He loved us more than we will ever be able to imagine. As excited and as thankful as we were for God’s answer to our prayers, we were also hit with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. He was trusting us to guide her in His Word, to help her grow and become a godly woman, to support and encourage her, and to pray for her daily. What a privilege!

From the day she was born, Hannah was a testimony to more people than you or I could ever hope to impact. Hundreds of people including immediate and distant family, friends, and pastors prayed for us, for Hannah. They lifted us up with encouraging words, notes, voicemails, and emails. They celebrated with us the day she was born, cried with us when we brought her home, support us to this day, and love Hannah like she was their own.

Allison and her husband, Aaron, are two people who have walked with us through our journey to starting our family. We met them 2 years ago in our small group at Elevation and have since walked through engagements, new jobs, weddings, and much more with them. They have laughed, cried, and prayed with us. When it came time for Hannah’s first photos, there was no doubt in my mind who we were going to name as Hannah’s official photographer!

If you haven’t met Hannah, let me give you a glimpse of the sweet girl who has and will continue to impact people. I cannot possibly convey to you the electric personality and sweet nature of this child but I am hoping that through Allison’s beautiful pictures and my few details, you will gain some insight into the specialness and uniqueness of this incredible 6 month old.

Hannah has a contagious smile. Actually, her whole body smiles! She wants nothing more than to make friends wherever she goes; restaurants, walks around the neighborhood, the grocery store, or church. If you don’t make eye contact with her, she will scream and yell happily until you do, and then you will be rewarded with her sparkly smile (I have yet to see someone who can keep from smiling back!).

At 6 months old, Hannah has a keen perception for emotion. She seems to know when someone is sad, happy, mad, or just tired. She is also, as her Papa would say, “very advanced!” She rolled over at 2 months old, sat up on her own at 4 months old, and now, at 6 months old is trying desperately to crawl! We’re going to have a busy one on our hands in the next few months, for sure!

Oh! One more thing; Hannah LOVES her daddy! My favorite time of the day is when he gets home from work and she hears the garage door open. She gets so excited and jumps and squeals until he comes in to pick her up and the look on his face… priceless!

We count every day with Hannah a blessing. Every time I start thinking that my plan is better than God’s, He reminds me in a very subtle way, that He always has my best in mind. All I have to do is look at our precious miracle daughter and I rest comfortably knowing that I am in good hands!

Thank you, Allison, for perfectly capturing Hannah’s lovable personality in every precious photo that you take of her! We love you more than you know, Aunt Allison! :)

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

Five Months (couldn't choose just one!)

Six Months

Thank you, Joey and Lindsay, for sharing sweet Hannah with Aaron and me. She has brought so much joy to our lives and we're so honored to be a part of your family and watch her grow. You are amazing parents and we can't wait to see what a Godly woman she becomes. Here's to raising cute, smiley, drooly babies together (someday :) )! We love you.

P.S. - Watch Hannah grow here :)

Grayson: 6 Months

Isn't he just the cutest little guy you've ever seen?!

I had the pleasure of photographing Grayson this past weekend. It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day and Grayson was SO happy to play with me. I still can't get over his insanely awesome eyes! Here are a few of my favorites from Grayson's shoot:

Grayson sure did make some funny faces during our time together! Here are my 2 "funny face" favorites:

Someone left a comment in Grayson's gallery on my SmugMug website that said, "Whatchutalkinboutwillis." HA! The perfect caption for a the perfect expression :)

Thanks, Lindsay and Ryan, for inviting me over to take photos of your precious baby boy! I'm already looking forward to our next photo shoot together in June!

Opening Day!

The boys and I went to the Opening Day game at the Charlotte Knights stadium today!

Sam and Toby wore their Cubs jerzees and looked super-cute. I brought my camera with every intention of taking lots and lots of great photos, but I didn't anticipate every elementary and middle school child in the Fort Mill area attending the game, too :-/ Do you know how hard it was for me keep Sam and Toby from getting trampled on by teenage boys stuffing hotdogs into their mouths and teenage girls singing Hannah Montana and High School Musical songs? It was complete madness, let me tell you.

Here are a few highlights from our day at the ballpark:

• The Knights' mascot is a dragon named Homer (and his girlfriend's name is Caroline). When Toby saw Homer and Caroline on the field, he latched on to my arm and said, "I don't wike da dwagons, Sassin! I don't WIKE dem!" I promised that I wouldn't let them get him and he eventually loosened up and had lots of fun.


• Two minutes after we sat down in our (awesome) seats, Sam said, "Mrs. Allison, when are we going to take a break from sitting in the sun?"


• Sam and Toby sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"...27 times. Instead of singing, "Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks...", Sam sang, "Buy me some peanuts and Apple Jacks..."


• And this moment, captured right before we left to go home in the middle of the 5th inning (thank you, iPhone):

Both boys are currently fast asleep and worn out from a fun day at the ballpark :)

Tee-Ball!

Tee-Ball season has officially begun...and I have the photographs to prove it :)

Sam's team is the youngest in the league, but also the luckiest. Their sponsor is Chick-Fil-A. OH YEAH :)

Toby wanted to be part of the action SO badly!

LOVE that face!

(above) This is Aaron's favorite. When he saw me editing this photo on the computer, he said, "What are they doing?!" I said, "I don't know what they're doing. They don't know what they're doing. That's the fun part of Tee-Ball. No one knows what anyone is doing for a full hour. It's great!"

And...just to prove that Toby knows no strangers (just like his big brother), I give you exhibit A. And B. And C. Just watch the sequence. It'll make you smile (...and it reminds me that I need to have him strapped to me at all times when we're in public so someone doesn't walk off with him...)

Toby and one of the other Tee-Ball players' moms peacefully watching the game...

"Heeeeeeey...HEEEEEEY!" he says, beating on the woman's purse.

All is well with the world when he has a hand to hold :)

Teachable Moments

So...

Yesterday morning, on our way back from dropping Sam off at preschool in Uptown Charlotte, Toby and I experienced a good ol' fashioned "teachable moment" together.

Let me set the scene for you:

It's 9:40 in the morning and rain has been pouring down for days in Charlotte. I'm driving down the middle lane on 3rd street (one-way heading out of the city) and I'm super-focused on the cars in front of and around me.

Then, I see a light flicker above my head. It's the dome light in the 4-Runner. Which can only mean one thing: A door is open somewhere.

Did the lady who took Sam out of the car at carpool forget to close his door all the way?

Did I not close the trunk hard enough when I put my camera bag back there this morning?

Then I feel wind. And RAIN.

I turn around to see Toby's guilty face and the rear driver's side car door flung WIDE open. Water splashing everywhere, horns honking, Toby laughing.

I was not laughing.

Thankfully, I was able to pull over and close his door before anything catastrophic happened.

And then we had a talk about not touching car door handles.

And then I put the child safety lock on both back doors.

Needless to say, Toby and I both learned a lesson yesterday :)