Happy 6 Months, Baby Girl!!

Dear Riley Grace,

Where do I start? I'm already tearing up writing this.

I looked through some of your photos from when you were born and I started crying. You are not a baby anymore. You are a baby, but not a baby. It makes me sad. But on the other hand, I grow to love you so much more each month and I am loving new experiences with you.

You are developing your own little personality and I think you're going to be a bit more independent than I initially thought. You like things YOUR way and if they are not YOUR way, you let us know. :) You still have that fake little cough I already told you about and you have perfected it! It comes out anytime you are done with something, don't want to do something, or sometimes, to get our attention! We always say, "Oh, you little faker!! :)

We went to the fair last night and I can't wait until you are big enough to really understand what is happening. Look at me...first I was sad that you aren't a "baby" anymore and now I can't wait til you're bigger...Mama's crazy. :)

We have your six month check-up on Monday and I'm dreading it. I dreaded it when you were small because I thought it probably hurt you too much and now I dread it even more because I feel you are going to think I'm doing something bad to you. I totally have the "mother's guilt" gene now. Crazy how life has changed for me in the past six months. But I'm so blessed. :)

Here is your 6 month picture...I can't wait to frame every month after you turn one and see how you've changed. I hope you don't hate me later for all the bows and flowers I put on your head. But trust me, when you don't have them on, sometimes you are mistaken for a little boy. :/ Just ask Daddy...it is bugging him big time. :)



And here we are at the fair...another imperfect picture, but yet, it's perfect to me.


And here are some other pictures from 5 months to 6 months:

Story time at the library:




Passing out either on the way to or after Father's Day dinner. Daddy took this with his camera phone:


Watching Mama instead of sleeping one night:


And one of your little friends:




And "third shooting" for Mom and Dad on a photo session. :)


I love you, little Riley Grace.

Love,
Mama

Baby "B" - SNEAK PEEK

I had a great time seeing a former co-worker and her hubby today. She is expecting a little girl and I am soooo excited to meet her!

I think it's a sin to look THIS good pregnant. Seriously.







And "D", you'll have to have Sheila show you some other comments about how good you look (in my Facebook album). ;)

"L" Family - SNEAK PEEK

What a nice family. Mom was referred to us by a friend I knew in elementary school and come to find out, Mom is also friends with one our friends from the animal care center! Small world!

I love how both cutie patooties are too cool to look at the camera. ;)

In my own backyard...

I did some scouting today for a maternity session and I fell in love with a little gem in our own backyard. I have lived in Southern California my entire life and this place is no more than 3 or 4 miles from our place and we have NEVER been here. It is GORGEOUS!! I had Riley in the Baby Bjorn, a camera in my hand, a purse over my shoulder and a phone in my pocket. Boy, was I multi-tasking...but it was such a great hour or so.

I like to put scouting sessions on my blog so that when someone says they want a beach or park session, I can direct them to a different sort of setting. We all know someone that has beach or park photos in their home (even I have some!) so we are trying to incorporate a little something extra or different into those requested sessions. For example, we have an engagement session at a beach in a few weeks, but you can bet we'll be stopping by the main street off the beach for some photos with some color and character! Why not have variety and fun in a session?! :)

So for those that request a park session, I'll be directing them to this entry to show them a park-type background, but with a little bit more character. :)





























And if I didn't know that I hadn't already found the perfect setting for a maternity session, this was the "wink" that assured me. ;)

Counting my blessings...

I was going to apologize in advance to my family/friends/faithful blog readers/blog stalkers and whomever comes here to look at pretty pictures or read a letter to Riley or whatever...as that is not what this blog entry will be, but on the other hand, there's no need for me to apologize and I think I'd do a disservice to little Maddie if I did apologize.

Tonight I just feel like I have to share something that I've been reading. I don't know when (although I know it wasn't months ago) and I don't know how I came across what I refer to as "Maddie's Blog". This family lost their precious little girl three months ago. There is hardly an entry that I read where I don't cry. Yes, it would be easier for me to never go there again and to try to put it out of my mind, but I can't. I feel like I know Maddie through videos/pictures that her mom has shared with the world. Others that visit the blog have said the same thing - that they feel like they knew Maddie when they didn't.

Why am I writing about someone I don't know and something so sad? Because it makes me appreciate even more what I do have and what I have sometimes taken for granted. I wrote a comment to Maddie's mom and told her that I thank her for allowing me to realize what I have on a daily basis and that Maddie's memory lives on because I think of her so often when I love on my little Riley. When there are times when I get frustrated if Riley is fussing or something, I immediately think of Maddie and what Heather (her mom) would give to have a fussy Maddie. It's also made me realize that I need to take more pictures and video of Riley. You'd think I would have already had hundreds of photos of her, but I don't. I only started taking more after reading Maddie's blog. God forbid something happen to Riley, I would HATE myself for not having more documentation of her life.

Heather recently remembered a point and shoot camera that fell into some water and when she went to see if anything could still be recovered, she found over 80 videos of Maddie. I truly believe that God (and Maddie) had a hand in that...you can read about that incident here.

I was about to walk into a store last week when I see a SUV pull up with a woman smoking a cigarette. Two little girls got out of the back seat. I was soooo angry at that woman. I immediately thought of Heather and how she would give anything to have Maddie back and here is a woman that is smoking in the immediate vicinity of what was probably her two young daughters with no regard to their health. I just thought how unfair the two situations were.

I don't know exactly what I'm trying to get across to anyone who may read this...I guess just to remember to count your blessings...whatever you have. So many people complain about the silliest things or always seem like they have a dark cloud looming over their head all the time and it just makes me want to yell, "COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!! YOU HAVE SOME SOMEWHERE IN YOUR LIFE! CHOOSE TO BE THANKFUL!" The "woe is me" crowd makes me lose it sometimes!

If you're still here and reading this, I ask that you pray for Heather, Mike and their family. I do believe there is power in prayer and although all the prayers in the world will never bring Maddie back, they may at least give them some much needed peace...even if it arrives ever so slowly. I know that there are other families who have had to go through something like this and my heart goes out to all of them, but for whatever reason, Maddie's life was the one that showed up on my internet door. I pray for Heather all the time asking God to lessen her pain each day. If you are a praying person, please do the same.

And I thank God for my little blessing and I could care less if this is not the "perfect" picture and that's it from a camera in a phone. I have this memory documented and that's all that matters.

I thank God for this little girl and I will never ever take a day with her for granted.

Rainboots in July?

Why not?


Nothing wrong with rainboots in July...


Or chalk covered driveways...


Or new little brothers...


More to come later...

Joelle - Finished!

Just a couple of Joelle's images...some more can be found on Facebook (if you're my friend...request me at the bottom right corner if you'd like!).

Such a sweet young lady. I can't wait to work with her again in a place that will be much more fun and more colorful!

(I did remove the stray hair here, but didn't upload the new one.)