I was so excited to meet this family…neighbors in my new ‘hood! We had visions of photos in beautiful Butler Lake Park, but the morning proved very cold. Owen, Blake, and Patrick were troupers, but after a good half hour, we resorted to their house to warm up and snap a few cuddly, fun photos in front of the Christmas tree. It was wonderful to meet you Beth, Jon, Owen, Blake, and Patrick! Happy Holidays!
The last time I took photos for this lovely family was back in 2012…right before our Eloise was born! Emma was just a little squirt, and shortly after our session, Monica, Kelly, and Emma moved to Texas. I was thrilled when Monica reached out this Fall, letting me know they are back in Chicagoland…and with a new addition! I had the best time catching up with these guys, and meeting little Charlotte. These two sisters were a blast to hang out with, and gave me their best top model moves. Welcome back and happy holidays, Monica and Kelly!
After several reschedules because of uncooperative weather…WE FINALLY DID IT! It was wonderful to catch up with Corinne, Todd, Henry, and Elena a few weeks ago. We even captured some special photos with their Grandpa, too. Love these guys! I am so glad that we fit it in this year…thanks for all of the terrific smiles!
Now that everyone has what they need immediately for holiday cards and gifts, I would love to get back to sharing some of the fun sessions that have been keeping me busy this season. First up, Grace, Andrew, and their new baby sister, Rebecca! They are absolutely darling, and we had such a wonderful time. Their Church, Soul City, was kind enough to let us shoot there one Saturday morning. It’s a beautiful space with a lot of fun artwork and nice light. It was wonderful to catch up with you, Loralynne and Sam! Happy Holidays!
Sleep training suuuuuuuuuucks! Especially when it catches you off-guard, during the “most wonderful time of the year.”
Our Thanksgiving didn’t go exactly as planned. Baby Mae decided to mix it up and come down with bronchitis while we were in Ohio visiting family. We have been on a downward spiral ever since, and hit rock-bottom on Wednesday when, after a week of sleepless nights, we resorted to letting Mae “cry it out.” 9 month sleep regression is a real thing, apparently. This sleep-training strategy is one that both Mike and I have been uncomfortable with in the past…probably because we thankfully didn’t have to employ it with Eloise. But like so many things in life, you can’t judge something unless you are living that life. And man…are we ever. Mae is absolutely miserable, the rest of us are all getting sick from exhaustion, and her situation is only getting worse as we tried to comfort her to sleep all. night. long. So, despite my lingering doubts…time for drastic measures. We are now on day two of “cry it out,” and after a rough day one of pretty constant crying (both her and me), I’m happy to report that Mae slept through the night for the first time in nearly two weeks. That’s not to say she’s not fussing in her crib, fighting nap #1 as I type this…it’s going to be a long few days. I keep reminding myself that as much as I feel like I am losing my mind on a daily basis (SO MUCH CRYING!)…in the end, I’m just thankful that THIS is our biggest problem at the moment. Hopefully she will be back to her happy, healthy self in time to enjoy some holiday decorating this weekend.
I’m dreaming of a healthy Christmas!
Hang in there, Jenny; better days are coming!