Hello Charlotte

I'm new to photography. The relationship that my camera and I have, is very similar to the relationship that I might have if I adopted a new baby kitten? I'm in love with the idea, and when kitty purrs and loves, its oh so nice, but- sometimes things just don't work out the way that I want them to. Unlike a kitten though, my camera won't tear up my furniture of mistake my dresser drawer for a litter box. It does misbehave, in its own cute digital way, from time to time. I haven't yet trained it to do what I want it to do, and even after I do, it will still have a mind of its own. I think most of our issues are, we just don't yet know each other well enough. We haven't spent enough one on one time together.

The sun did come out the other day, and it wasn't too cold, so we went on an adventure around the neighborhood. I strapped my Canon around my neck, pushed my 30 pound one year old in a stroller in front of me, and hollered constantly at my doddling three year old to keep up. Beside me, was my friend Marie, and her daughter Charlotte.

I've been meaning to do a "real" photo shoot for Charlotte, and even though these pictures turned out precious as can be, I still don't think this one counts. Next week we'll be moving into a new house (more about that later), and this next May Charlotte (Eleanore's very best friend) and her family will be leaving this base altogether. There was a lonely tree in between houses, and even though it was dirty and the girls weren't nearly as into it as they were their stuffed bunny and Elmo friends, we convinced them that the tree was the cool place to be, and while one of us held little girls in place and made silly faces (I'd like to say that was me, but, I'm way too lazy these days to lift a child up anywhere other than into their crib for an afternoon nap), the other one of us snapped picture after picture...


All of the pictures turned out really cute, but the ones of Charlotte were especially "aww" worthy. I had fun playing around with different techniques and programs, which is another thing that I'm still trying to learn. I've heard from more than one person that I should give Light Room a try (?), so that's on my overall to do list as well (remember how I mentioned that we're moving in a week? I haven't packed a single box. That pretty much makes up the rest of my to do list).

Charlotte's Mama was nice enough to let me show off her adorable daughter, by posting her precious face all over my blog for all of you to see (thanks Marie!). Its going to be really hard moving away from such great friends. Our daughter's hearts are going to crumble, not being able to meet each other out in the front yard for summer time water table play dates whenever they please. And now who will sit outside with me while the babies nap, and go through awful catalogs that somehow found their way into our mailboxes? ...Its all part of being a military family, I suppose, and this won't be the last time that we have to move away from the perfect neighbors. Or the last time that my daughters heart will hurt from the aftermath of leaving such an honest friend.

But we sure have some great pictures to remember it all with, don't we?

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And if you've got just a minute, I used the same bunny picture that I used on this post, on my "Goodbye, Dramalogues" post, over at the The Mama Dramalogues. Won't you stop over and have a look? All good things must come to an end.

I Heart Faces: We Heart Kisses

I had a tough time choosing between this photo, taken back in August, and a picture of Charlie smooching his sister's baby doll, also taken last summer. I decided in the end, that this picture was more appropriate, with all that has been happening this week. This is how I feel, most of the time at least, hee hee. I just want to scoop him up and cover him in Mama slobber, which I do often. Charlie loves kisses, thankfully. I think they tickle right through his baby soft skin, down to the cherry core of his perfect chocolate coated heart.

I know its nowhere near professional, and the colors are a little bit off (zombie skin tones are in though, right?), but I went with it anyways. I never enter these challenges expecting, or really even desiring to win. I just enter them for the fun of it.

Friends; I have to thank you for your overwhelming support, yet again. The emails that you've sent, and the comments that you left, regarding Charlie's seizures have been heart warming. Some even moved me to tears. Yes I know that's easy to do, I cry at everything (13 weeks pregnant and going strong), but your words wrap themselves around me like a hug through the computer screen. It means a lot to us.

Update; Charlie saw the doctor yesterday, and she took his seizures very seriously. As a first step, she's ordered both an EEG and a cat scan (for which Charlie will be sedated for the first time, and even though I've heard its easier for children than adults, still makes me very nervous), and she's put in a referral for a neurologist. She couldn't believe that the previous doctor had blown it off so easily. His taking it lightly is what had kept me calm through the worst of the episodes, so for my original fear of "this is serious", to be seen so clearly in a new doctor, filled my heart with adrenaline, and I came home with a strong grip on my son, not wanting to set him anywhere but in Daddy's arms. We'll keep everybody updated as we go through the process of diagnosis and treatment. But again, thank you everyone for your support.