Just back from a wonderful, amazing, terrific, magnifique week in Paris, so apologies for not getting anything up on the blog last week.

I met up with the darling Ms J for a just-her photo shoot earlier in July, and she couldn’t have been cuter or more pleasant to work with. When she had her ice cream in hand, she was all giggles and goofiness, and I love the captures. These, again, are Jane Photo wardrobe, which I was thrilled to be able to loan to Ms J.

I simply couldn’t call it a day without a snap of Ms J’s little bro as he munched on his ice cream. He is just sooo adorable.

Our July fundraising drive is for the Cassidy’s Craft Campaign. Cassidy Briggs is a little 8-year-old Surrey girl who died in January of liver cancer. There weren’t enough craft materials at Children’s Hospital during her stays, so all on her own initiative, she started a charity drive to purchase supplies. Now that she’s gone, the charity is continuing, and all little sick kids will have this sweet gift from Cassidy. We are pleased to offer Cassidy’s Craft Campaign $1 for every comment received on this blog during the month of July, 2010. So come one, come all! 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. We are happy to send the hospital a cheque for up to $200 at the end of the month, depending on how many comments you leave.

Tell us about Ms J.  How old is she?

J is 5 old years.  Cannot believe time has passed so quickly!
 

Tell us about her little brother.  How do the two get along?

They are the best of friends most of the time but like any siblings, they have their moments.  I love that they are born close together (17 months apart) and will not remember life without one another. 
 

Are you stopping at two children, or are you continuing on?

I actually wrote a blog post entitled “Is 3 the new 2?”  To make a long story short, the jury is still out.  We also just got a black lab puppy which I think is my husband’s way of trying to distract me from having the should we/shouldn’t we convo.

Ms J is headed for school in the autumn.  Is she looking forward to it?  What do you think her favourite subject will be?  Will your heart break seeing her go off into this new, big-kid stage?

My heart is already breaking.  I was a mess at her preschool graduation.  So proud but also so blown away at how quickly she has grown up.  At first she didn’t want to go to the big kids school but since some of her friends from preschool are going, I think she will be fine.  If she is like her mother, PE will be her fave class.  She also seems to really love art!  Hopefully she takes after her father because I struggle to draw stick people. 

What is your favourite thing about having two children?  

Everything.  They are incredibly full on, so loving, adaptable and I feel like I am reliving my childhood through them at times.   They absolutely keep me on my toes, which I love.  I learn from them every day and cannot get enough of their kisses, cuddles, tickles and hugs!

What is the most frustrating thing for you?

In general, it is the workload and the overflowing plate and number of balls to juggle.  At times it feels like I am not doing anything well but I recognize this is a choice I make (to be busy and to say yes when I should sometimes say no).  Ultimately though, I have control over the decisions I make or the path I choose, even if the decision is to live life permanently OUT OF CONTROL.

You run your own business, Raspberry Kids.  How it is balancing the two sides of your life?  Any advice for other moms out there trying to walk that tightrope?

I don’t believe balance exists, at least not for me. Therefore, I am not in a position to give advice to other moms other than to say make sure you love what you do.  The long hours, commitments, responsibility are acceptable because I truly enjoy what I do.

Ms J’s favourite things in the whole world are:

I just gave J a call and asked her this very question and her response was:  ”Princesses and the Diamond Castle”.  On her behalf, I would also add the color pink. 

Ms J loves her:

J loves her dresses which I am sure you will find as no surprise considering how willingly she performed all the wardrobe changes on our photo shoot.

Bac

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.

And what a lass to post about! Please say hello to little E. She’s a big whopping 2.5 weeks now, but in these photos she was just a tiny bitty 2.5 days! I felt so honoured and pleased to get to spend time with this family again after doing Becky’s maternity a couple months ago. E arrived all in a rush and gave her mama so little trouble during labour that they were back home–labour included–all in a day. (I know we all dream of perfect labours, and it’s sooo nice to hear that they are reality for some lucky women.)

Little bitty E at 2.5 days old slept like a little log, and let me squoosh and fold and bend and arrange her. Isn’t she just so adorable? I was at Becky’s home for this one, and we had the sweetest light coming in a handy window, so some of these are natural light. I took my studio lights, though, and used them for most of the time. Newborn sessions with Jane Photo are kinda epic. We just take it slow and steady, and baby gets to eat every time she’s inclined. It’s so important not to rush, and for everyone to feel relaxed and comfortable since babies are so in tune with our moods. And while these special sessions do take four hours, on average, at the end the family has amazing images that they will treasure forever.

By two weeks of age, new little sprouts are just not newborn anymore. They are way more awake and “in the world.” It’s great to get them tiny, when they are still slumbrous and flexible.

Baby E was so sweet, and smelled so good, and made the most astonishing newborn coos, that I was just one melted in-love blob from the second I walked in til I finished editing their images. Oh wait…I am still a melted blob as I work on their order…I will never be over the sweet intoxication of this perfect baby.

We made this process entirely painless for dad. Just as he came in for the last few minutes of Becky’s maternity, he came in for just the last few minutes of the newborn session. We got some stunning shots, proving again that dad doesn’t have to suffer through the whole shebang. Of course he’s welcome, but for the dads who aren’t keen, it’s nice to have the option.

Please, please leave comments for the mamas…they would so love your responses, I know.

Here’s what mom had to say a couple weeks into her momdom:

What made you get photographs at 3 days of age compared to, say, two weeks or one month?

Jane suggested it! She mentioned how early on the baby is more bendy and still has all of cute little wrinkles on her hands, feet, and body… I wanted to have those in my pictures.

Did you know you were expecting a little girl?

We had no clue!! We guessed we were having a boy and we absolutely shocked when we saw she was a girl!

What is one thing E does that you never tire of seeing?

Her little facial expressions, there seems to be a new one everyday! I am getting to recognize her little expressions that she has for different situations, I just love it!!! Now I am just waiting for my first “real smile”!

Explain how you feel when you see E curled up with her daddy.

It makes my heart melt!! She already has him wrapped around her little finger, and I really see that when she is sleeping on his chest. The way he looks at her is indescribable!

What’s one thing you can’t start your day without?
Before her, I would have said a morning run and a coffee, now I would have to see a morning cuddle with her and my coffee!

What’s your idea of an ideal day?

A day with my family. When Ash has his days off we grab coffees in the morning and take Blue (the dog) for a walk with the baby, then spend the rest of the day hanging out as a family

I am up to my sorry ways, I’m afraid. I don’t make new year resolutions, but if I had, one of them would have been to post more frequently on here. But we’re only a few weeks into January and already I am remiss.

Still, I wanted to share the lovely maternity I did on Sunday out in the Fraser Valley…after getting caught in the band of white-out snow on the highway en route (happily to no ill-effect). It’s a little wild when one takes studio gear on-location and asks an ordinary house to accommodate it, but S and K were game, and game then for my wacky ideas. They were in the middle, poor things, of selling their house (talk about stressful when you’re expecting a baby any week), with people due to look at the house in a short while, so partway through we packed it all up and moved out into the community, returning later for the special bath portrait we’d planned for months.

The photos turned out beautifully, and I can’t wait for them to see these sneak peeks and for their ordering appointment next week. It will be so fun to see them all on the big screen with music playing! And I so look forward to photographing their new little arrival in March.

Enjoy, S and K, and everyone else, too–how beautiful these two are.