Overwhelming Goodness

As you’ve noticed, I still seem to be on MIA status and I’m really sorry. Things have been rather overwhelming lately, but totally in an incredible way.

When I turned my passion of photography into a profession, I had know idea I would get the kind of response that I have. I figured I would do a shoot with my friend’s kids here and there, but I never dreamed I would be booking my calendar like I have been. I prayed for God to bless my business and He has in so many ways.

It’s overwhelming, but in an absolutely amazing way! I am LOVING what I do in a way I never imagined. I get so excited when I capture the perfect moment with the perfect lighting that I can hardly contain myself at times!

It’s so weird (and a bit uncomfortable) to think of myself as a “professional” because I really just see myself as a mom with a camera, especially when I’m having so much fun.

So bear with me friends--you can see a lot of what I’m up to on my photography website. I will try and get back into a regular blogging routine, but please be patient with me as I adjust to this new venture.

Thank you all for your support, I really appreciate it!

My Little 8 Month Old!

Dear Connor,

This post is late but you are 8 months old and growing and developing so fast. Here’s what’s been going on this last month:

~You are an expert crawler and especially like to play with anything that resembles a cord or string….you laugh when I tell you “No No”.

~You just learned how to pull yourself up into the standing position and now you do it ALL THE TIME! Sometimes you get stuck up there and you’ll just hang out standing, happy to see everything from a new perspective.

~You giggle hysterically when I brush your teeth and you also think it’s funny when I sing the “The Wheels on the Bus” verse where the mommy’s play peek-a-boo…you just LOVE that part!

~Each night I sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Start” and “Jesus Loves Me” and you just smile

~You have figured out how to imitate your brother and you will both yell back and forth to each other.

~You’ve been spoiled since you’ve had an ear infection and your FOUR top teeth are coming in……you wake up every night at 3:30ish and I of course feed you.

~You have so much hair that it makes you look older…..I don’t like this and I may just have to get it cut…..just a little :)

~You are still in size 3 diapers, where 9-12 months clothes and weigh about 18 pounds. You still spit up, but only a few times a day!

~You are always on the go, you hate to be strapped in anywhere and diaper changes are quite the process, you and I both dread them these days!

Connor you are so much fun and we just all love you to pieces, especially Parker. You and Parker are already best buds!

Love,

Mommy

Meal Plan Mondays

If you read yesterday's post, then you will know that I'm back from a brief hiatus. And not only am I back, I'm back to cooking as well. We've had a few weeks of last minute meals and lots of pizza and I'm looking forward to getting back to meal planning. It really does make my life so much easier!

Here's what I'm planning on cooking for my family this week:

Tonight--we had leftover tacos

Tuesday--Parmesean Crusted Chicken with broccoli and cous cous

Wednesday--Salmon, roasted red potatos, baked squash

Thursday--leftovers

Friday--Southwestern Garden Chicken Pasta from my friend's blog. This looks SO yummy!!!!

Saturday--Blue cheese and red onion burgers, sweet potato fries, fruit salad

Sunday--Lifegroup with church

What are you having this week?


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I’m Back……

I am back! Thank you so much for your patience these past few weeks. Between all of us getting really bad colds and my unexpected oral surgery, I’m getting back to a sense of “normalcy”.

My surgery was intense and extremely painful BUT I am thankful that the recovery is happening much faster than the expected 2-3 weeks.

A bunch of incredibly sweet friends got me these gorgeous flowers and another friend brought me some magazines! I have the best friends!

 

I’m still in the process of getting my life back together, luckily my parents came to town to help out with (spoil) the boys and cleaning my house—thanks Mom and Dad!

Parker and Connor got a lot of attention this weekend. Daddy took Parker to the indoor pool and he had a blast—his nap lasted over 4 hours that day!

I’m so excited that the weather is getting warmer here and I LOVE daylight savings and being able to go on family walks after dinner!  

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my photography blog and enter to win the camera strap cover giveaway. Also, if you are in the Charlotte area and are interested in a Mom’s Photography Class (tuition is $50) or Family Photo Session, you can find details there too. Right now I have a special if you book a session date with me before March 30th.

 

Camera Strap Cover Giveaway!

Want one of these?

I am giving away a handmade custom camera strap cover to one lucky winner. These covers typically fit both Canon and Nikon SLR camera straps and are the perfect accessory for any photographer or mom with a camera!
Click here for details on how to win one!

Brothers

I didn’t think I’d be able to post today, but my pain is manageable right now and I’m going to make the most of it!

I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time now…..As a little girl, I had always wanted a sister. I was devastated when my mom brought home my brother from the hospital, he was supposed to be my sister “Melissa” (funny enough, I now have a sister in love named Melissa and she’s the best!). I used to dress up my brother in girls clothes and hair bows. Growing up, I dreamed about having 3 girls of my own one day. When I thought of my life “when I grew up”, I saw all things pink, pedicures and shopping trips……

Again, God has a sense of humor.

Today, I am the proud mother of two boys. I’m not going to lie to you and say that I wasn’t just a little bit disappointed when I found out I was having boys. Trust me, I was VERY thankful for even just the ability to have kids, but since I had been dreaming pink for years, I just couldn’t see myself as the mother of boys. I’m very girly. I like all things monogrammed and pink. I love playing dress up and shopping. I just don’t know how to do boys stuff. After all, I am a girl, I understand “us”. I thrive on emotion and drama. I like to talk….a lot.

But now having almost 3 years of “boys” under my belt…..I wouldn’t have it any other way. I LOVE it. I love how much my boys just love me and how cuddly they are. I love how concerned Parker is with taking care of me. I love seeing them interact with their daddy. I love seeing how much they love each other and can already tell they will be best buds. I love how I get a glimpse into the future and see how they are becoming the men God wants them to be already.

I’m hoping to have more children and yes it would be nice to add to Team Pink in our household, but honestly, I love my boys so much and if I end up with 3 or 4 boys, I will feel beyond blessed! I mean, how could I not want another sweet face like these???

And in case you are wondering where all the pics of Connor are these days, he is a man on a mission. That little monkey is all over the place now that he can crawl. He is NONSTOP!

Out of Commission

I’m going to be a little out of commission for the next week or so and I do apologize. I’m hoping to regularly post on my blog again, but right now, I’ve got a lot on my plate, including unexpected minor surgery coming up later this week.  I’m hoping to recover MUCH faster than the 2-3 weeks they told me, but we will see. Hope you all have a good week, and be sure to check out my other blog, www.erinkjacksonphotography.com!

God Has A Sense of Humor

I just love the way God has been working in my life….Don’t get me wrong, I have had MANY moments of frustration, losing patience and just not understanding why things were not happening the way I wanted them to, but looking back I just have to laugh.

I am just a little bit of a control freak. I like to know when things are going to happen, how they are going to happen and they need to go exactly as I planned or else I get rather anxious and uncomfortable.

I am learning how to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I am learning that this side of Heaven is NOT my forever home and God never had any intention of me getting too comfortable here.

Today we caught my 7 1/2 year old pulled up and STANDING on both legs. HE IS NOT 8 MONTHS YET. This is the child I wanted to keep as a baby forever. This is the child that I attempted to delay his development so that he would be a late bloomer. This is the child that I carried 24/7 so that he wouldn’t get enough tummy time, and just maybe he wouldn’t be mobile for quite some time. HA!

My sweet Connor got up on all fours at 6 months, a few days later he had mastered crawling “the real way” and now just a few weeks later he is pulling up all the way to his feet.

I’m sure he’ll be walking like next month at this rate!

When I had my firstborn, Parker, one thing I was paranoid about was having a child with food allergies. I did EVERYTHING I could to attempt to prevent him from developing any kind of food allergy. I researched for hours, I breastfed exclusively, I delayed solid foods until he was 6 months, you name it, I did it.

Parker has a severe egg allergy.

None of this was in my day planner, and there have been moments that just are not fun. But oddly enough, I feel incredibly blessed and I am incredibly blessed.

I still don’t understand why Parker ended up with a life-threatening egg allergy or why Connor is not much of a late bloomer I was hoping for, and I may never understand these details, big or small until I get to Heaven.

For now, God is laughing at me, and I’m learning to laugh with Him.

Saucy Shrimp Recipe

This is SOOOOO good. A close family member shared this recipe with us a few years ago and we LOVE it! I’m sorry this isn’t the best photo, but I wanted to share it with you ASAP!

Here’s how you make it…

Sprinkle the following ingredients over 1 pound of peeled raw shrimp:

~lemon pepper and black pepper to taste

~2-3 cloves of chopped garlic

~red pepper flakes

~3/4 cup Italian dressing

~2 teaspoons Worchestshire sauce

~juice from 1 fresh lemon

Place in single layer in oven proof dish. Dot with 1/2 stick of butter (tiny pieces). Bake at 350 degrees until the shrimp form the letter “C” (like in the picture above).

This is SO NEAT. Here’s how to tell if shrimp are cooked:

If they look like a “C” they are done!

If they look like a “U” means undercooked and “O” means overcooked! Love it!

 

Moms Photography Class

Are you a Mom with a nice camera but don’t know how to use it? Do you always shoot in “Auto” (the green box) mode? Do you want to know how to get that “magical blur” you love in professional photographs? Want more information on what type of photo editing software you should purchase?

If this describes you, then check out my photography blog at www.erinkjacksonphotography.com!