sometimes when she does certain things that melt my heart- it hurts. (in  a good way) this morning it was sitting up in her crib… fighting the sleep…but finally giving in- me, listening to babbles and then a yawn, then snores. made me want to crawl in bed with her and snuggle. i know it’s such a little thing but i swear, tears came to my eyes. it’s things like that that make me want time to stop. it’s going too fast.

for mama who didn’t get to see his new full smile.

and this one. who gives me quite the hard time in the mornings. she battles with waking up, getting out the door and i meet her head on. i need to be better. more june cleaver like in the morning. i should.

so it hurts. the parenting thing. good hurt sometimes.. when you are so proud that you are going to burst.. and sad hurt where you can’t believe these little people could possibly take up more of your heart. so much to do today… i don’t know how i am going to get anything done since i am feeling so sappy now. 🙂

no pics of cam today.. but- he turns 8 on saturday. more to come. 🙂

she can tell that there is something different about cakey. 🙂

what could it be?

she knows it’s something! (look at his cute reflection in her eye!)

tada!!! he’s been so excited for this day! 🙂 of course he misplaced it 5 minutes after and was completely bummed— good thing supermom came to save the day!

and hallelujiah!!!!!!!!!!!!! i got some sleep last night. i don’t know if giving her a massage had anything to do with  it.. but man, she was OUT all night – i even remember slightly waking to think, oooh she hasn’t woken up yet.. then i quickly went back to sleep. mmmmmmm so nice. thanks elsie. maybe she was conked out because the last few days she has been such the little investigator! crawling/climbing everywhere. we had to barricade the living room with our bench. won’t be long till she figures that she can go under it to get through! and thank goodness she can’t get up here yet– big kid’s bunkbed. eeeeek!

happy friday- i know, it’s thursday- but we get a 4 day weekend! see ya! 🙂

after an incredibly wonderful and productive weekend, mama is whooped today. i can thank miss elsie for waking up 3 times last night. THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!! what is with this madness?!? i’m a little irritated.. but really, how can you be with this little face?

excuses, excuses.. i am ready for a good night’s sleep again, els. anyday now….:) she is wanting more snuggles and rocking.. which i am totally soaking up. 🙂
see her in blue?

we went shopping for her at this really cute cute cute store and chris was picking out some really cool clothes but they were all boyish looking.. there is nothing wrong with that.. there was actually a time where i dressed kira in lots of tomboyish clothes when she was a toddler— but for some reason, i couldn’t do it. i wanted everything pink for els. ha!
see pink?

giftie from auntie lynne!!! cute robeez!!!! none of my other kids had these and i am in love with them!! sooo cute! oh and notice the tank top again- ugh- 87-90 degrees this week. UGH!

haha- i started this post this morning but have been so distracted.. finally posting now at almost 6 pm. i am so out of it. hoping for a good night’s sleep tonight. 🙂

this one snuck up on us quick! eight months old now! sheesh! i messed up with that light on her head there but i love this pic! she looks so much like daddy there.. actually always but especially there i think!
she is spoiled rotten by her siblings:

horsey rides galore. 🙂

she’s been waking up at 4 every morning to eat a bit then back to sleep.. might be due to teething but last night was the first night in a week or so that she didn’t wake up. mommy thanks her!
she’s crawling around more… when motivated, that is.. but likes standing much more:

it’s a trip to look over the kitchen counter for her and not see her.. but to find her like this! i wish i didn’t chop her toes of there. here she is with pacifier.. but she doesn’t really use it, she just likes to play with it. she’s still on the 2 fingers at bedtime… chomping the thumb more when she’s bored, i think. 🙂 i can’t believe that in no time i will probably be chasing the little monkey around.. i am not ready for that! today she is off to grammies house for a bit while mom and dad go out… she’s a bit of a mama’s girl though, so she’s sure to miss me and give grammies a cry. send her some happy thoughts! 🙂

i’ve had the chance to shoot some fun stuff. 🙂
last year i got to shoot these cute boys and now… MY have they grown! they are at super fun ages, we had a great time with them. chris was able to come with me and he got some cool stuff, too.

and my hairdresser and crew needed some shots:

and right around the corner from the hairdresser, is my favorite little kids store, twerps! i came in to get some shots that she can put up in the store of her cute kiddos!

from our little goober… who thinks she is big stuff now by standing up all the time and getting a nibble of the crust from mom’s pumpkin cheesecake tonight. 🙂

We found it! Ok, well she is ticklish all over.. but here, behind the neck, she is especially ticklish. Not laugh out loud ticklish.. but shy, sweet smile ticklish. It is so stinkin cute. And she has learned to shake her head no… so when we do this to her, she shakes her head no over and over and we can’t get enough. 🙂

(yes notice the tank top in nearly november.. it’s been HOT here! 😦 our fall is being robbed from us!)

we shot our last wedding booked so far. 😦 we just happened to have friends of friends hire us 3 times this year and it has been a blast. we totally enjoy it…especially doing it together. we definitely don’t want it to end so we are looking into putting ourselves out there. when i finish proofing this last wedding, i will put a link up on the blog or something.
in other news, we had visitors!

tala came down for her bday and the kids got in their costumes! caleb wouldn’t put his avatar on though, so he was spidey again. and kira’s costume is in the mail, so she came up with that. 🙂 it was so nice to see all the cousins together.
we are seeing lots of this from the schmelsie:

smooshing from the big kids and pushing away and protesting from elsie. 🙂

and thanks for all the kind advice on the previous post. i wanted to tell you that the last 2 nights, i gave her more solids and she slept till 6  and then 640 this morning. nice. 🙂 i wish she were the type to snuggle in bed with us, but she doesn’t like it. our first kid who doesn’t like snuggles in bed. 😦 oh well. will be really interesting next week when the time changes. for now, from this morning..here she is waving to daddy and totally ignoring nap time. 🙂

sigh. seems like she is taking a break from her normal 11-12 hour sleeps. and i am SO SAD! ha! or at least i would like to think this is just a slight detour and that we will be back to our regular sleep schedule asap. she’s been getting up at 5 am lately. and my instinct is to feed her.. which i don’t feel totally comfortable with, but honestly, she’s loud and we all hope she would go back to sleep. but it hasn’t been working. she ends up staying up for an hour or so and then goes back to sleep. which is pointless for me to go back to sleep since i have to get the big kids up soon anyways. you would think i would just suck it up and be a big girl and get up… but momma likes her sleep.. i am the anti-morning person. i don’t really know what i am asking advice for.. i guess i am just venting. oh and we have tried just leaving her there to fall back asleep– but she just gets louder and louder and louder. again, none of our other kids slept through the night for at least a year, so we are very grateful for the sleep we do get.. but it’s just hard to wake up again- she’s been so good. sigh.

my friend jessi is so good at posting everyday updates of her cute kids on her blog.. i decided to post my everyday pics. i take pics just about everyday, i just don’t post them because they aren’t that great. but i guess i don’t need great things to happen everyday to post.. so here i am. 🙂
ok so everytime i pull out my camera, i get that top face. (see her little toof?! :)- yes, we are all about our babytalk in this house haha!) that’s the.. i would really like to eat that camera look.
another cute morning look. this was before i got the first top one. she just got done gnawing the baby wipe package and was spying my camera.

and her new hangout near my desk. you know she would give anything to be in my arms while i am scrapping or at my computer.. but she is starting to reach and eat the 7gypsies stickers, so down she goes. and she can pull herself up on this thing! what’s with that.. barely crawling, but pulling herself up already!? and what would the fascination be with this position? staring into the cabinet… the rail and seat right up next to her?! all of my kids have been clubhouse kind of kids.. i guess she is too. 🙂

the favorite toy of the day behind her.. the babywipes. 🙂 and yes, that is my USB cord for my camera that she likes to chew on… VERY SAFE! ha!!!! is she such the 4th kid or what?! eeeek.. look at that messy desk! notice computer screen is on ebay, elsie’s clothes on my desk.. someone has not been scrapping lately.

ok and last.. just thought this was funny. her at her hangout… babywipes nearby… toy basket somewhat touched… yawning… she is so over this ‘not being in my mom’s arms’ thing.

now thank you jessi stringham for making me want to share this completely random set of pictures from this morning. 🙂