Say hi to the oh-so-adorable Ms E and her wonderful family. This little sweetie is the kid sister of my favourite baby evah. Big sister Ms S is the baby on my splash page with the funny expression that still makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. I love this family…so accomplished and bright and lovin’ to their little gals.  Our session was mostly to celebrate Ms E, at the same age as her sister was when we photographed her, but we managed to sneak in a few amazing family images too.

Our June fundraising drive is for the Children’s Wish Foundation. The Children’s Wish Foundation brings dreams to life for children with life-threatening illnesses. We are pleased to offer them $1 for every comment received on this blog during the month of June, 2010. So come one, come all! Help an ill child realize their dream. Send your friends and family to this blog to leave a comment. It’s such a little thing, but it can make such a big difference to an organization. We are happy to send them a cheque for up to $200 at the end of the month, depending on how many comments you leave, so please be generous and help them out. You must leave your email to leave a comment, but we don’t collect them and they don’t appear on the blog. You can subscribe to the blog, above, or send us an email to be placed on our (very) occasional newsletter list.

Some words from mom:

Your life has changed since I photographed little Ms S as a 7 month old.  She is the baby on my website splash page making the wonderful face, and now she has a little sister who is the same age as she was when we made those terrific images. How has it been?

S was the light of our lives from the minute she was born, so when we found out we were expecting another baby when she was only 9 months old, we were excited to experience that type of love and joy again, although we were obviously apprehensive about how we would manage it all.  With the two girls so close in age, its been a whirlwind of parenting for the past 2 years and I cant say I have loved every minute of it, but at the same time, I wouldn’t change a thing.

All mamas long to know:  how was labour?

Ahhh, labor.  I was completely traumatized after S’s delivery.  It was long, beyond painful, and a completely disappointing and frightening experience.  So when I found out I was pregnant with E, the labor loomed ahead and terrified me.  But I have to say, it was an amazing experience the second time round.  E came much faster and it was less painful, even though both labors were drug free.  I even managed to wash my hair and put on full makeup while laboring at home.  After seeing the pictures form my first birth, I wasn’t going to make that mistake again!

How did you find the transition to having two children?  What did it do to your busy-ness and sleep and noise levels?

The leap to 2 children was really awful, truth be told.  E did not sleep longer than 45 minutes in a row for the first 6 months, S hated her, both were in diapers, it really was a blur of feeling completely overwhelmed and unable to cope for the first 3 months.  Thankfully my mom helped a lot.  Eventually S grew to love E and we settled into a manageable routine, but when the girls have off days like one is sick or grumpy, it can be very hard to cope.

Was Ms S delighted to have Ms E appear on the scene or a little discombobulated?  How is she coping now?

S had a very difficult time adjusting to E.  S had been the center of our worlds for 18 months and could not understand why E had to stay and ruin her fun.  Somewhere around when E turned 5 months, S accepted her and that acceptance turned to love in the past month or so.  It helped when E started sitting and interacting with her I think.

What is the best thing about having two children?

The best thing about two is having another person to love and watch grow into her own unique person.  The relationship developing between them is pretty amazing to see as well.

The most challenging?

The worst part is feeling I cannot devote myself 100% to each child, that my attention is always divided.  They’re both at an age where they depend on me so much that its hard to juggle those needs and find a balance.

Your girls are very close in age; how do you find the split?

I’m hoping it pays off in a few years and that they will be the best of friends.

What is the one thing Ms S does these days that absolutely melts your heart?  Ms E?

Oh, my sweet S.  She is the most gentle, loving, funny amazing kid.  She makes me laugh till it hurts every day.  But the thing that melts my heart the most is when she wraps her little arms around me and say “I love you mummy so much” and gives me kisses.  What can be better than that?  E makes me laugh every time I look at her, her giant brown eyes, her little expressions.  I think my heart melts the most when she is snuggled against me nursing and her whole body is relaxed and so trusting.  It always makes me smile.

What is your favourite moments between the girls and their daddy?

My favorite moments with the girls and their dad is when they are roughhousing together.  I see them all in a pile on the floor, laughing, giggling, squealing, and it’s bliss.

Do you plan to have more kids?

We’ll see if I can talk their dad into it!

What are your hopes and dreams for your kiddos over the next few years?

I just want to be there to see every moment, watch how they grow and change.  My dreams for them are that they are happy, that they feel loved and secure and confident, that their childhood is something they look back on with relish and joy. I know how short this will all seem one day, so I want to savor every second with my delicious girls.

What a fun morning I had today!  I usually blog after order sessions, but in this case I’m blogging just one image now, as this poor family has to wait it out the whole month I’m gone.

Meet the ever-adorable Ms V, whose luxurious hair sticks almost straight up (not that you can see it in this image).  Sooo cute.  She has the most adoring parents, too…incredibly patient and loving.  Dad does all the heavy lifting, as Ms V at 100 days is already getting too heavy for her tiny mom to carry for long!  She has these awesome plump thighs…I hope I see her again at 6 mo-1 year, because she is bound to get even plumper when she starts on solids.

This month, February, we are continuing to collect comments (each is worth $1, so please be generous) to benefit Battered Women’s Support Services.  This is because there won’t be many blog comments in February, given there won’t be many posts in my absence.

I will hopefully have some comments from mom to share when I do a full blog post for Ms V and her parents when I get back.

Meantime, here is Ms Gorgeous:

We photographers just disappear from our blogs in the fall…getting worse and worse about getting sessions up. Not because we’re not busy, but because, well, we can’t keep up. So with apologies to everyone, here is the gorgeous Ms T.

Welcome to the world, little Ms T. Here, finally, for everyone who followed her mama’s three (3!) mat sessions with Jane Photo, is the little lovely who joined our world a few days before Hallowe’en. We did our shoot when she was just five days old. Perfect timing! She still loved to curl up, and Mom’s milk had come in. By the way, Ms T was born at home in a water birth in the still of the night. Both my kids were born at home, too, so I am always pleased to hear about wonderful home births!

As always, please do leave us a comment below if you’re here having a peek. Each comment below gives the Vancouver Food Bank a donation of $1 during all of 2009…a donation of up to $2400 for the year…but only if you participate!

Here are some words of wisdom from tiny Ms T’s lovin’ mama:

You are the proud mama to Ms T.  She also has the wonderful middle name of “Star.”  Are you exhausted?

I didn’t sleep the first week because it was so hard not to stare at her all the time.  She’s so cute!  But she’s pretty good in the night and I can get a few hours of sleep in between nursing.

Tell us about your pregnancy.

I had a great pregnancy with no sickness.  I wasn’t working much so I feel lucky I had alot of time to relax and enjoy being pregnant. 

How was your labour?  Did you know you were going to have a girl?

I delivered her in a water birth at home which was the birth that I imagined.  Keeping the sex of the baby a surprise helped at the end of the labor and knowing we were about to find out if the baby was a girl or boy. 

What was the first thing that surprised you about being a mom?

I feel so comfortable as a mom as if I’ve done this all before.  And the love you feel as you look into your baby’s eyes is magical.

When did you realize you were head over heels in love with Ms T?

Immediately!

What is the best thing about being a mom?

I love taking care of her and nursing her.  She’s just so sweet. 

What is the worst thing about being a mom?

No complaints yet.

What are your hopes and dreams for Ms T as she grows?

I hope that she discovers for herself what her hopes and dreams are and what makes her happy.  

What is one time during your day when you’re with Ms T and your heart just melts? 

Sleeping next to her is amazing.  Some of her sounds and facial expressions are adorable.  Oh and the smiles that are just starting are so incredible!

Why were custom photographs important to you?

To capture her on her 5th day of life is so special.  She’s now over one month old and has already changed so much. 

How was your experience with Jane Photo?

The photo session was so great since Jane and my husband had Tessa in the photo studio and I got to sleep on the couch in the other room. It was the best rest I’d had in a while!  Jane was also great with the baby. And I love the photos.

Please say hello to darlin’ Ms M, whose mama was one of the women who had one of our glamourous Hollywood maternities at Jane Photo. Ms M came in at three weeks, as sweet as punch, and very, very wakeful. As you’ll see from her mama’s comments, below, she’s having a health struggle now, so please join Jane Photo in sending good wishes and prayers the family’s way.

As always, please leave a comment below. The parents love to receive them, and each of them is worth $1 to Vancouver’s Food Bank in 2009. With that, the Food Bank can purchase $3 of food for Vancouver’s least fortunate families.

Here are some words from mama:

When did little M arrive, and how much did she weigh?

She was born on September 25th, 2009 at 3:14 am

The question all moms want to know the answer to: How was your labour?

My labour was interesting… Being that she is my second, everyone was telling me that it would be fast and easy, not so much the case! I was in labour from 7pm – 3:14am the next morning, however my water broke at 4am on the 24th, so I didn’t get much sleep before the big day. M was in a position called OP brow presentation which made it difficult for her to come out. This basically means that she came out with her back to my back (or sunny side up) and instead of having her chin tucked into her chest like babies are supposed to she had her chin up so she came out with her forehead first instead of the back of her head. She’s a bit of a rare baby I’ve been told as only about .02% of babies get in this position, and a miniscule amount of those babies are able to be born vaginally which she was (drug free I might add!) Other than all that fun though… It was good!

When did you get to go home?

We got to go home on the 26th, but because of the time she was born at it was like we spent 2 days in the hospital.

How did your older child react to having a new little sister?

He seemed relatively unchanged. He did go through a bit of a whiney period, but we did our best to keep his routine the same and I think that helped. He has definitely warmed up to her and he’ll give her kisses and tickle her toes! He’s a great big brother!

What is the best thing about being mom to two?

I don’t think I could pin point it. I just feel so lucky to have so many people in my life to love. It’s so rewarding seeing them change every day.

What is the most challenging part of being mom to two?

The most challenging part is dividing my time. It’s challenging to make sure that they both get quality time, but as well I want to make sure that our son’s routine is still similar to before the baby was born so that he doesn’t get too much change all at once. It’s also challenging finding the energy to chase after an 18 month old when you’re only sleeping for three hour periods!

Your little poppet is ill now; can you tell us a little bit about the challenges she (and you) are facing?

Well, we’re currently in Childrens Hospital (should be out in a couple days) because my midwife detected a heart murmur at our routine 5 week appointment. From the appointment she sent us straight to the local hospital. We spent the night there and were transferred to BCCH the next morning. She’s doing fine, it’s quite a surreal experience because by all appearances she seems fine, however she’s got 2 holes in her heart that are going we’re going to be monitoring. They will either fix on their own, or she’ll need surgery to correct them. The staff here have been amazing, however the biggest challenge is the unknown. Every day is a waiting game to see if she’ll gain weight so we can go home. She’s such a little trooper and I’m so proud of her!

What do you wish for Ms M as she grows?

I wish that she grows to be a happy and healthy little girl. I hope that she follows her dreams and doesn’t let anything hold her back. I hope that she shoots for the stars and lives a long and happy life!

Do you have any advice you’d like to offer to other moms as they embark on pregnancy and parenting?

I guess I would just say to go at it with an open mind. Be prepared for things to change and for all of your ideals to go out the window. Be strong, and be open minded. Cherish every single day, every moment, and take lots and lots of pictures. Your kids grow up so quickly that before you know it they’ll be grown and you’ll be wondering where the time went!