Show us your teeth, Nathan.

Right when he wakes up- that is the best time to take photos of Nathan.

 Now, when we take him out of his crib, our little guy looks back for his blankie.

He's officially attached.

 And there they are! 6 teeth popped through, and they are sharp!

He's so proud of them. They are so cute! Sometimes I catch him feeling them with his tongue. 

I can only imagine he's thinking "hmm, sharp things in my mouth. how did they get there?"

So funny to dream up things babies might be thinking :)

he's coming after me. He wants to eat the camera! 

the teething necklace works wonders!

 whatever is around is fair game to Nathan for biting now, including wet wipes.

Brad says "if Nathan were writing a memoir it would be have to be entitled Eat the World!"

That's mostly what he's up to these days :)

Growing, growing! he's 8 months and 1 week.

He's cruising already!

Next post he'll probably be walking! :)

Oh, no!

our pre-k girl began school!

Ava began her 2nd year of pre-school at Mariposa Montessori earlier this month. 

We are so proud of her brave spirit in a new, much larger classroom with 18 children and 2 teachers. 

It helped that on the very first day back the first teacher she saw was lst was last year's ms. Junko who wrote me this letter on the last day of the school year:

Dear Cassie, 

I would like to say that you again for your love and Ava's. Ava's pure, pearly tears filled me with a lot of love. I was also very touched by both of you when Ava gave me a flower bouquet on Wednesday (I was having a hard time to stop crying afterwards). I am so blessed to have parents like you who have such a loving gentle heart. I will absolutely miss you both next year, but I am glad that I can still see you two at school. Getting know you and Ava is a precious treasure in my life.

Thank you so much again. Have a wonderful summer!

With lots of love, 

Junko.

(a few photos from the last day, last year)

Ms. Nabila, Ava, Ms. Junko

That letter is just a great example of the loving energy at the school.

On the first day back this year, Ms. Junko, having to greet her new 3 day students, paused to give Ava a long heart-felt hug and welcome her back to school. 

After her day was over she got to see Ms. Nabila (who told me privately last year that Ava was one of her favorite students) *you don't really want teachers to have favorites...unless their your own, I guess--ha!) I was touched at how long she held onto Ms. Nabila. It showed me that she built some real attachments last year and it was comforting to her to see them, still there, just a few doors down. It was the best way I could imagine re-entering the environment for Ava.

The adjustment has been very smooth and she seems engaged and actively learning already!

Today on our walk home she told me, " Did you know what mommy? The sun is made of burning gas! And there are other planets, like Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and ummmm....."

"Venus?"

"Yes! Venus, mommy!"

I was a little taken back, to be honest, that she had taken it all in and reiterated it back to me. 

She also told me, "And I'm learning my new teachers names. Do you want me to tell them to you? ...Ms. Grishma and Ms. Felina."

I over excitedly said, "yes! that's right, Ava! Great job remembering!" to which she replied, "but I don't know which one is Ms. Grishma and which one is Ms. Felina."

"that's ok", I said. You will soon enough.

When I picked her up from school this week, Ms. Felina mentioned to me how well behaved Ava is and obedient to the classroom rules. I smiled inside at the thought of how much she challenges us at home. 

Every day after school she plays "school" in the living room. She's not the nicest teacher, I must say, constantly asking the "children" if they are abiding by the RULES! 

I listen from the kitchen and 2 things pass through my silly mind. The first time I wondered, "are her teachers really strict and hard on her?" No, no no, Cassie. Nonsense! Then I remembered how I used to play "school". Just ask Poppi if you want to know. Not the kindest teacher either (sorry Poppi). 

It's so amusing to see her have similar qualities as I had as a kid. Maybe it's just about development, maybe she's exerting her sense of power in her imaginative play.

Either way, it's fun to be around. Never a dull moment with her these days!

I continue to know this is the right school for her. And the right school for me. I really enjoy the others mothers from her class also. They are very down to earth and easy to talk to and build friendships with. I only wish we all moved on to Kindergarten together. But there I go getting way ahead of myself. :)

*thanks to Poppi for snapping this shot of us before we left on her first day

And thanks for G&G for supporting Ava through this amazing school!

We are beyond grateful!

8 months old today!

*check out this blast from the past!*

I found these old photos tucked away in an album we used for our wedding slideshow.

How fun to see what an amazingly perfect combination of the two of us our kids are. 

Brad is 8 months old in these photos. 

don't you just want to squeeze him?! 

He is so cute and has the biggest head ever! hahaha!

That face hasn't changed and I see so much of Ava in him.

And here is me, 6 months old. 

I couldn't look more like a boy (thanks, mom). :))

I see Nathan here too. 

It's just amazing how the combination of genes makes these beautifully unique people.

For some reason, today, that thought fills me with joy that I, in this life, get to experience it. 

I get to look in the faces of my sweet children everyday and see pieces of Brad and myself, all the while knowing, they aren't me, they aren't Brad. They are Nathan and Ava and I get to know them. 

I just feel blessed. 

This is the biggest blessing of my life, I'm sure.

Here's Ava, 7 months old looking so much like Brad, right?

And our boy. 

He's now known as "nathan-y buddy" and "squishy boy" 

both nicknames created by Ava herself and totally sticking for mom and dad too!

my favorite thing about this age is the smiles and the enthusiasm for life.

When I go into his room to get him from a nap or in the morning he pumps his arms up and down and smiles in excitement. These days I find him standing, griping the rails of his crib and balancing.

If he's not doing it there, he's using my leg, or anything he thinks might be stable to try and stand. 

Most things aren't stable, of course, so over the course of a day, between Brad and I, we've literally saved his life hundreds of times.

He's a mover, so if he's not standing, he's crawling.

He's shown us that he knows his name. 

When we call "Nathan" in that sing-song way, he turns in our direction and speed crawls over to us. the slapping of his little hands on the hard wood floor always brings a smile. I know he's coming :)

For reassurance, milk, or exhaustion, he crawls to mama.

For playing and excitement he reaches for daddy.

And for pure entertainment and drama he goes for Miss Ava, and boy does she deliver! :)

I wonder what he's thinking when he's watching her.

He's begun just the slightest bit of stranger/separation anxiety, but it's not hard to win him over.

I love this age. 

I've loved every stage with him.

Pure "squishiness" as Ava would say.

oh, and those baby blues!

happy 8 months to our little bundle of joy!

Baby Sarah's 8 week shoot. Truro, MA

You can imagine how I longed to photograph my sweet new niece, Sarah.

And when I met her and held her in my arms for the first time and watched Nicole hold her, I longed for it even more. I couldn't wait to capture her sweet, light, loveliness in images.

With the lighting in the old house in Truro, I was just in heaven in my photographer's mind.

Look how the window light just floods in over her new, pale, silken skin. It illuminates emotion and a special moment in time. It gives me the goosebumps. It's just so beautiful to see my sister hold this perfect baby girl in her arms. A baby she waited for, a baby she wept for. 

It's an emotional story, without which we would never know Sarah.

Sarah was so alert during our shoot. 

She was cooing at her mama and saved some smiles just for me.

She was so so good.

For those of you who haven't, please meet: 

 Sarah Katherine Shepardson

High on the high chair (and our Nathan-y buddy).

I just had to share this series of shots of Nathan in his new high chair because I love them so much. 

I love how the light illuminates his blue eyes, and all the different looks on his sweet little face. 

I truly was a skeptic when it came to believing that I could love another child as much as our first, and once again I learn that if I had gotten what I wanted/thought, I would have been sold so short. 

So blessed by the universe!

My heart bursts again with love for this boy!

It grows every day.

His skin so soft and smells so good. 

If I could eat his cheeks I would. 

The fuzz on his head like feathers and that smile just melts me.

He's got me wrapped around his finger, but he doesn't even know it yet.

I'm in trouble.

His developing nickname in our house, created by Ava: "Nathan-y Buddy" (pronounced as one word).

Our visit to San Diego with Grandpa Ayers

We made our annual trip to San Diego and had a total blast (per usual)! 

This trip was extra special for me, I think, because our little family is complete and we were all together on vacation. We miss Hailey when she's not with us. A trip to San Diego means she'll be there, which is always fun to look forward to. Ava couldn't be happier when Hailey is around. One night before bed she told me she just couldn't decide who she wanted to marry, me or Hailey. She just loves both of us so much, she said. Bless her little heart. She was genuinely distressed about it until I told her that normally we don't marry people in our family. A hard concept to grasp when you think getting married happens because you love someone. Who else does she love besides people in her family. She also asked recently if I was daddy's mommy when he was little. So, we'll keep working on understanding how things work in attempts to avoid any kind of Deliverance lifestyle (ha!). 

Grandpa pulled out all the stops to have us there. 

He loved us up, taking care of every need. 

He even borrowed a mini van from a friend to pick us up from the airport, so we wouldn't have to take a cab. SO kind!

I love it there. I love his house. His garage smells just like my grammy & grampy's garage. It may sound strange, but I breathe it in deeply when I walk through it.

I love the southern California weather.

I love how everything is the same every time we go. Nothing changes. I always know what to expect. 

I love how much the girls love it there. 

I love it. All around. 

Grandpa spent lots of time getting to know Nathan.

Nathan spent some time exploring Grandpa too.

Grandpa says Nathan is a lot like Brad's mom was when she was a baby.

the girls entertained themselves--usually giggling over all their shenanigans.

Grandpa participating in the morning back yard play. 

Blowing bubbles for the girls...Bubbles, swings, and water balloons were the highlights of being in the backyard this year :)

Nathan ate on the the patio for every meal. looks yummy, right? nope. :)

We celebrated Hailey's 9th birthday by taking her to the restaurant of her choice, The Olive Garden.

Grandpa had an ice cream cake waiting for her in his refrigerator.

Video of us singing to her:

we gave her presents :)

And took the kids to Sea World the next day!

Shamu is still waving and splashing :)

I think Hailey convinced Ava to sit in the front row "soak zone", so we let them sit there alone and kept our eye on them. Half way through the show Ava came running up the stairs crying. Too much slashing, I guess. We saw it coming and made bets on how long she'd last, but kudos to her for her brave efforts.

My favorite day trip was to Coronado. My little dream town. 

It was my final destination in my cross country trip to get to California in 2004. I lived there for 3 weeks with Eryka, my college roommate, before heading up to NorCal and SCU. We loved it there and spent many afternoons on the beach outside the Hotel Del. I always think of her there. 

WE ate on the beach at a great hotel cafe. Yummy food! 

Nathan sat in a high chair for the first time and did great! we even gave him a meal there.

I love this look on his face. Like, yeah mom, I'm cool in  my high chair. I knew how to do this long before you let me try ;)

No matter how chilly the water. Ava WILL go in. 

I forgot her bathing suit. whoops! Undies will do.

I love my kids

This is Ava getting out of the bath and hamming it up for her mom!

She wanted to be wrapped in her towel just like mommy.

That face reminds me of the movie Home Alone.

And our annual photo of the girls with their Grandpa Great. precious.

plus Nathan (after he woke up from his nap). Even after bribery with a chocolate Hershey's kiss, Ava just couldn't bare to smile. She was wiped, napless, and feeling sad about having to say goodbye.

This photo is how most look before the fleeting second of all smiling at the same time. 

It cracks me up. Nathan pulling Ava's hair, while teething and hlaf blinking, Ava in pain and grumpy, Hailey over zealously smiling and Grandpa just holding on to all of them with love. 

That's always been his role. 

Ava got her nap on the plane. 

My dreamy girl.

Goodbye for now, San Diego. 

Thank you Grandpa for another wonderful, memorable visit. 

We miss you already and can't wait to come back!

xo