Maeve is Three Months Old Today!

If you've been wondering why there haven't been more pictures of Maeve on the blog, it's not because I haven't taken enough pictures of her.  On the contrary, I've taken so MANY pictures of her that I was trying not to overwhelm Blogger!

 

But today, for her 3 month birthday, I thought it was time to catch up.  I've pared down the images to the very very best, and put them in collages. 

 

So here you have it...The Maeve Sessions!

 

SESSION I:

Maeve in a Nest

 

I found this rattan bowl at Pier One years ago, and it's been moved around the house a dozen times as an accessory, but I really bought it to stick a baby in someday!  That someday was the first time the sun came out after we brought Maeve home.  We had two lousy weeks of cold, cloudy, gray days - ugh!  But finally the sun came out!  So I cranked up my space heater, put a heating pad under a blanket in the bowl, and snuggled sleeping Maeve in on top.  Then I wrapped one of my old pashminas (from the wedding blitz of the 1990's) around her. 

 

I am ever so glad I did this because these are the only images I have of her tiny baby parts in those early days.  It was so hard to get her naked because it was just so stinking cold outside, and even inside it was too drafty to keep her happy without layers of clothes on.

 

 

 

SESSION II:

Maeve in Molly's Doll Bed

 

I have wanted to take pictures of a baby in this doll bed since the first time I laid eyes on it back in 2007.  It was the Christmas Molly was 17 months old and Nana and Papa bought her this bed from Pottery Barn.  I knew the first thing she'd do with it wasn't put a dolly in it, but that she would climb in herself, and I was right!

 

I never took pictures of Ben in the bed because I couldn't figure out a way to make it masculine. I could kick myself now, because thanks to Pinterest I've got loads of ideas!  But at that time there was no Etsy, there were no cute boy accessories like knitted hats and diaper covers, and I wasn't clever enough to make it work.

 

When Maeve was born, I knew it was now or never, and was mildly obsessed with the idea of getting her into this bed.  I even hired a professional photographer to come to the house to take her newborn pictures, specifically in the doll bed.  But the photo session was a bit of a bust, with Maeve crying and miserable, and the photographer never even used the bed.

 

So it was up to me!

 

The moment presented itself when Maeve was out cold sleeping and the sun was shining in through Molly's bedroom windows.  I knew I couldn't take her clothes off, lest I wake her up, but her outfit was neutral enough that I thought I could make it work.

 

And it did!  She slept so soundly, with a white noise machine blaring and a space heater aimed in her direction, that I was able to switch out accessories and even backdrops while she snoozed.

 

 

 

 SESSION III:

Maeve in Mommy's Maternity Sash

 

When we had professional maternity pictures taken, I'd made a sash to wear around my belly, in the hopes that I'd get to take the baby's picture with it after he or she was born.  This was then...

 

and this is Maeve!

 

 

 

 

 

I even managed to cajole Marc into a few of the pictures, which I'm thrilled about.

 

 This was the session that I managed to get her alllllll the way down to her diaper...but then I blew it and tried to roll her over onto her back so I could put her in a crocheted 'cocoon'.  She woke right up and was hopping mad!  I never got her this sleepy again, so I missed the opportunity to get a completely naked picture of her.  Again, I assumed the professional photographer would do that, but you know what they say about assuming things! 

 

Ah well, we all have to have a few regrets in life, and if this is one of the worst I have to deal with, I'll consider myself lucky.

 

 

SESSION IV:

Maeve in Pink

 

Just a random day when her eyes were wide open for the first time.  She was so sleepy with her jaundice those first three weeks, that seeing her eyes open was a luxury.

 

 

 

 

SESSION V:

Nonnie's Outfit

 

When Molly was born, my friend and coworker Janice Mariano, known as Nonnie to her grandkids (and all kids I think - she's that kind of Italian grandmother!) brought her this outfit.  It was, and still is, one of my all time favorites.  I could not wait to get it onto baby Maeve, and she didnt disappoint.  She was just as cute in it as Molly was, and I'll be so sad when she ultimately outgrows it.  She has a few more wearings in her yet, though, as she's just starting to wear her 3 month clothes.

 

 

SESSION VI:

Auntie Treecie's Dress

 

There is a picture of Auntie Treecie in this same pose, wearing this dress as a baby.

Nana passed the dress on to me at one of my baby showers I think, and I wanted to get a picture of Maeve in it while Treecie was here visiting.  Treecie is camera shy, but Molly and ben were happy to jump in and smile for the camera!  We needed to layer a long sleeved onesie and a coverall underneath it because it was so chilly, but she sure did look cute in it, though I think asking her to raise her head was a little too much - she wasn't quite strong enough to do it, though she was happy to munch on her hand.

 

 

SESSION VII:

Maeve in Purple

 

When Nannie was visiting us I bought some flowers to brighten up the guest room.  They were so pretty, that one day when Maeve was wearing a purple outfit (another one of Molly's hand-me-downs), and a beautiful flower hairband from my friend Sandy, I managed to get some pictures.  She has a furrow in her brow, like she knew what I was doing and was on the verge of waking up and complaining, but she let me have my way this time. 

 

 

SESSION VIII:

Maeve's Coming Home Outfit, Redux

 

Much to my surprise, my newborn baby girl started to grow, and she was on the verge of growing out of her coming home outfit, which she'd been swimming in only weeks before.

 

I don't know how this happens, but it's a dirty trick!

 

I wanted to snap a few more pictures of her in it before it was time to put it in her memory box.

 

Remember, this is what she looked like in it in the hospital...

 

 

And this was her at one month old...look at those cheeks!

 

SESSION IX:

Prelude To Orange

 

Two wonderful mommy friends of mine gave us the most amazing petti-romper and matching headband as a gift for Maeve.  These are my people - they totally 'get' me.  One loves photography almost as much as I do, and one is a bona fide artist.  I have visions of a gorgeous setup for a future session in my head, but for now, I just snapped a few pictures to test out my new 18-200mm lens.

 

Other people get 'push rings'.  I dont' need a ring, unless it's red and it's around a Canon prime lens.

But since those are out of my current price range, this Tamron lens will do just fine!

 

 

 

 

And that's all she wrote...er...photographed!

 

(Okay, I lied.  There's more.  But the kids might want to eat dinner before bedtime tonight, so I have to go be a mom.  More to come soon!)

 

For today, happy birthday baby girl!  You are growing more beautiful and more loved every single day.  We can't imagine our lives without you!

Good Days

For the record, I rocked it today, the motherhood thing. I was the kind of mom I want to be, try to be, every day, even thigh 99% of the time I fall short of the mark.

What made the difference? I can pinpoint two things.

First, I didn't lose my temper.

And second, I made a conscious effort to communicate my love using the love languages I learned in Dr. Gary Chapman's book The Five Love Languages.
(http://www.5lovelanguages.com)

That's all it took, and I feel like a rock star. Why oh why is keeping my temper in check so stinking HARD?? I need to remember how I felt today, and remember that loving my kids is far more important than perfecting them. Because they are never going to be perfect. But they will always be loved.

Houston...We have a SMILE!!

Melts me every time I see it!

 

 

 

Really?

March 4, 2013

 

Well played, Mother Nature.

Well played.

 

Deja Vu

I happened to click on a folder of pictures in my computer by accident, titled "Marc's Photo Frame".  It was a Valentine's gift to him in 2009 - a digital picture frame that I filled with his and my favorite images from the year. 

 

Gosh, how can it it be only four years ago that those images were taken.  The kids were BABIES!  And I honest to goodness cried looking at them, so filled with love and longing for those kids, even though these kids that I have today are equally as awesome and amazing. 

 

I can't even share them here, because I couldn't pick three, or even ten - I love them all so much I'd blow up blogger trying to upload them ALL.

 

But I will show one, because I gasped when I realized that I just took the very SAME picture of Molly in 2009 AND 2013. 

 

 

2009

 

 

2013

 

Clearly, I am a creature of habit.

Also, holey mackerel is this kid beautiful!

Lastly, WAAAAAAAH!

How can she be growing up so FAST??

 

The days are LONG but man the years are short.

Snow Much Fun...The Prequel

Nannie and Gray came for a visit last month and brought us our first substantial snow of the season.  It actually felt New England-ish, the way it snowed a little every single day they were here.  Nannie stayed a few days after Gray went home to help us while Daddy was away on business.  And then she got to stay a few days extra because a blizzard hit Boston!  We sure did have fun while they were here, and got to play in the snow for the first time this year.

 

And that, hopefully, is the END of the snow much fun series, because on March 1st, I am declaring that I am

 

ALL

DONE

WITH

SNOW

THANK

YOU

VERY

MUCH

!

 

I tried this two weeks ago when I put the boots and snow pants away in the basement.

We got six inches the next day.

So I'm hoping that in the month of St. Paddy's Day,

the luck of the Irish will prevail

and I'll get my wish.

 

Is a robin or two too much to ask for?

Snow Much Fun, Part Deux

Well, it kept snowing!  So we kept playing.  Jack had a blast with the big kids at the end of the street going down the only 'hill' in the neighborhood (it's really a drainage ditch, but Illinois is flat as a pancake, so you work with what you've got.)  And while he was doing that, I needed a way to keep Ben busy, yet safe.

 

So we busted out the snowman kit that we got as a favor from Cameron's First Birthday Bash, which I don't even think I mentioned during that post (and can you blame me with that sweets table to gush over?).  The favor was a HANDMADE snowman kit.  Like, a hat that Ulia sewed on an actual sewing machine.  And a nose on a stick that she actually made and sewed on the stick. 

 

And now, we finally got to put it to good use!!

 

Introducing..."Snowy".

 

 

I sent Ben out into the backyard to play and he said he was going to make a snowman.  I had no idea that what was falling from the skies at that moment was absolute, perfect, snowman-making snow.  The kind that sticks to itself and packs effortlessly.

 

 

Within ten minutes of sending him out there, he was knocking on the kitchen door yelling that he was ready for me to put the pieces together!

 

 

 

He honest to goodness rolled two 75lb snowballs all the way across the yard.  I don't know how he did it because I had to chop one of them in half just to be able to lift it into position. (no wonder he totally bonked and went to bed early that night!)

 

 

I helped him get the middle and head on, and then helped him with a little face sculpting.  Because what's a snowman without cheekbones, ya know?

 

 

 

 

And how are you supposed to hold eyes in place without eyebrows?

 

 

 

But Ben was the mastermind behind it all.

 

 

 

 

He really was in love with his snowman.

 

In fact, this is how I woke up the next morning

(after being up at 12am, 3am and 5am with the baby)

 

6:23 

Ben: "Mom, where are my snowpants?"

Me: "They're in the dryer.  Wait, what?!  Benjamin, you are NOT going outside right now.  Go back to bed, it's six o'clock in the morning!"

 

6:41

Ben: "Mom, where are my boots?  I don't want to PLAY outside, I just need to check on Snowy."

Me: (noting through groggy eyes that Ben is now wearing his snow pants, inside out) "Ben, you are NOT going outside.  If you want to check on your snowman, go look out the window in the office."

 

6:54

Ben: "Mom, I can't see snowy through the office window because there's bushes blocking me.  Can you put on my other glove?"

Me: (noting that now he's got his boots on and one gloved hand) "If the office doesn't work, you can see him from the guest room Ben.  Go look out the guest room window, PLEASE."

 

7:05

Me: After finding Ben standing on a kitchen chair to unlock the special, "Ben-proof" lock on the sliding glass doors, wearing his inside out snowpants, jacket, both gloves and his hat on his head (score one for mom, he wore his hat!)...

 

"Okay, Ben.  FINE.  Go check on Snowy.  You have ONE minute."

 

 

Snowman Love.

I guess you can't argue with that.