May19

Newborn Sager’s First Photoshoot

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If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.
Vincent Van Gogh

I really enjoyed taking photos of Sager. He was 9 days old at this photoshoot and was blissful to work with. His parents Jana and Matt are natural at parenting and I loved seeing how they interacted with their new son. I also think Sager’s 9 day old age was an ideal newborn age to work with and he was cozy looking and snuggly. My favorite photos of newborns are those of the parents and their little ones, as the parents look so big compared to little babies. I love how Jana is looking at Sager below.IMG_5288-4 IMG_5300-2 IMG_5328-2 IMG_5342-2 IMG_5343-2 IMG_5365-8 IMG_5387-2 IMG_5446-2 IMG_5461-4 IMG_5474-2 IMG_5493-2 IMG_5499-2 IMG_5509-3 IMG_5394-2 jana edits-2Hoping to have the opportunity to take more photos of beautiful Sager soon! Thanks Jana also for my testimonial!

 

May13

Misha’s 4th Birthday

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Here are some images of Misha’s 4th Birthday. Her mother Amber did a great job with the decor ad really customizing Misha’s party from goody bags to water bottles to cookie and cake decorating. Yum! If you need a party planner, let me know ~ Amber is a pro!

Really enjoyed taking photos of this beautiful family. My favorite images are the cake cutting ones ~ I love Misha’s anticipation and excitement upon seeing & slicing her birthday cake.IMG_4334-2

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May10

Gym Cancellation Goal

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“I don’t go to a gym. I find that really hard to do.” ~ Sienna Miller

I had high hopes for myself and joined LA Fitness. I went more in my free 2 week trial than I did in my 2 paid months! I called them up to cancel my gym membership to which they informed me that I had to do it in person. Then I was told I could just freeze my account upon trying to do that they said I’d just been billed the day before and would have to pay for that month and hey, freeze it next month. Sigh. Then I was told I could mail in my cancellation, but it would have to received 10 days prior to the day of my billing. Double Sigh. So I had to do the inevitable and just go to the gym to cancel my membership.

After going to someone’s house, I was passing LA Fitness so I decided to take the plunge. I dangled sleeping baby A in her carseat on my arm, held Z’s arm (who had an armful of sparkly bangles attached to it), schlepped through the parking lot, and walked in. We probably stood out from all the sleek and chic gym go-ers. I was wearing a billowy mustard kurta, hot pink chooridaar leggings and accompanied by two little ones. When I made it to the front desk and asked to cancel it, they informed me that the person who I was supposed to talk to was on vacation and to come back another time. I asked if they could leave a message for her so that I wouldn’t have to venture out to the gym with my two children just to cancel my membership, and that it was becoming a big hassle as I couldn’t do it over the phone to which they said sorry they couldn’t and I could try another LA Fitness location.

At this point, I spoke my mind (something I need to get better at). I said it was crazy that I couldn’t cancel it then and there; that I didn’t want to pay for yet another month. I didn’t want to go to the gym again with my 2 children, and to drag them out of the car, just to cancel a membership, that my life is a workout and that I don’t need the gym!

Upon which a man witnessing this spectacle behind the desk ventured, “I’ll cancel it.”

I happily went to the other side of the desk and accomplished my new goal, cancelling my gym membership. As I was exiting I couldn’t help thinking how much workout my biceps were getting as I was dangling baby A’s car seat!

Taking care of these 2 is a workout!

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2 Orange Dresses: stitched by my cousin Asna

May7

Green

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IMG_4929-2Z loves these shorts and wears them with everything.IMG_4933

Gardening with my father.IMG_4987

Love the way her hair is swishing. I got tired of making pony tails! She actually sat in Great Clips for this haircut so we didn’t have to go all the way to Pigtails and Crewcuts and wait for all the other children as that place is popular!IMG_4981

love the softness of this. Z is a blob in the back.IMG_4947

Like how my father’s colors are blurry.IMG_4982 IMG_4983

May1

Generations

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grandfather silhouette

 

I had to put my camera on the ground to get this image and increase the shutterspeed to catch the action (which I’m used to doing with Z running so fast), to get this image, and liked how it turned out in B&W.

Love the way my grandfather’s stick is leaning into his walk, and how both my father and grandfather are engrossed in their conversation.

 

“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.” (Quran 17:23).

Apr27

A Toddler’s Mother

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I am a toddler’s mother.

I can’t imagine life any different.

In the future I may look back and wonder how crazy life used to be.

Life with z is full of tantrums lately. Tantrums over tiny things- a speck of dirt in the bathtub is followed by immediate draining of the tub followed by a demand for more clean water. Now.

Today I was trying to get her to nap and she wasn’t having it. She disappeared and came back announcing:

“Baby A uth gaye” meaning “baby A woke up.”
Groggy me- “kaisay?!” meaning “how?!”
Z proudly – “Mai nai us ko Jagaya!” Meaning “I woke her!”
Me still groggy – “kaisay?!” Meaning “how?!”
Z- “mainai us ko mou ko touch kya aisay!” Meaning “I touched her face like this!” upon which Z demonstrated by taking her hand and squeezed her own cheeks hard.

Sigh.

While this conversation was going on, baby A had indeed woken up indignantly and was wailing away. Whereas Z was still happily walking around without remorse, and ran to wake yet another person, my mother, to share how she had indeed woken up baby A.

Two peacefully sleeping people were woken up in minutes by Z. Double sigh.

When I think of Z now, our life is so much more challenging than early 2 year old Z. Months ago Z was cooperative and malleable. Dress-wearing-Z. This almost-3-Z has to have her way and likes to cause mischief. Pert dresses be gone: polka dot leggings with striped mini shorts pulled over with mismatched outgrown tees are favored. I can’t help feeling tired when she squirts tears over tiny things.

But when I think of Z bigger, say a ten-year-old I can’t help feeling a pang, the sort of pang when I see baby A already fitting in 6 month clothes, shedding her newborn ways, and acquiring cheeks that Z never had. This pang intensifies when I think of a sober Z quietly sitting at a table, taller and lanky, doing homework.

Z is energy, giggly, cheeky, cereal-dropping-then-rubbing-into-rug, oh-so-loud, two-almost-three.

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And yes, tiring, but when I think of her as a ten-year-old I just don’t know what I will do. After all, I am a toddler’s mother.

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