There she grows!!!!!

In the past 6 months I've been lucky enough to spend time with Sarah McKinstry, a friend very near and dear to my heart while she goes through her very first pregnancy! To watch her belly grow from lump to bump has been awesome! She lets me poke and prod at her tummy in hopes of feeling Little Mr. Mckinstry move or kick and in return I get to take pictures for her. Pretty sweet deal I think!

I give props to any woman who lets me photograph her while pregnant! During both my pregnancy I hid from any and all cameras. ( which I do while not preganant.. I'd rather be behind the lens.. then infront). I think at one point I threatened a few people with physical violence if they even attempted to take my picture. It was the hormones talking.. I swear (*grins "hee hee".

I don't think I'll ever lose the fascination of the baby bump! To know there is a teeny tiny human being in there growing and moving... still after two babies of my own, I'm still in awe!.

Take a peek at some of the 6 month maternity shoot pics for beautiful glowing Sarah and her gorgeous bump :)

New Custom Collages Available!

In an attempt to extend my photography products I have started making custom collages :)

Here are a few samples of my recent work!

"Don't forget.. you are what you eat!" - ahh crap.. I have to eat a skinny person!

All you moms out there can relate to this.
Your body isn't what it used to be ( if it is.. i now officially hate you!).
That beautiful tall slender skinny body from your pre-mamma days is looooong gone.
You're left with lumps, bumps, wobbly bits and a belly covered in stretch marks (or as I call them.. my battle scars - its just so much cooler to think of them as my proud marks from a hard fought and proudly won battle!).
Now, don't get me wrong.. I love my girls, and wouldn't change a thing, but man do I miss wearing a nice pair of expensive skinny jeans!
My battle with the bulge has been a long one. I can't say that I didn't stress out about my weight before I had children, but never have I lived in fear of a scale since venturing into mamma-hood. That small white plastic and metal square fills me with terror, so much terror in fact I have half debated chucking the thing outside onto the driveway and running over it with my car. I guess you could say I have a love-hate relationship with the scale... when I step on.. and that number drops.. I tell ya.. I could kiss it!.
After having Carys, the weight kind of just fell off... well.. except the last 10lbs... that was alot of hard work at the gym!. The story after Addison.. let me tell ya... it's not just falling off. The weight is clinging onto me for dear life! I'm still a good 15-20lbs from where I'd like to be.
What drives me crazy... what drives me into blinding INSANITY, is that Morgan (and maybe just men in general) can eat whatever he pleases, whenever he wants to.. and at the drop of a hat can drop 10lbs after 10 minutes of bathroom solitude. GRRRR.
Meanwhile... i'm stuck with celery and sweating it out on a manual tredmill or listen to my Wii fit tell me I'm pleasantly plump.
I'll be the first to admit. We are a snacking family. We LOVE us some snacks!!
Which makes my weight battle so much harder. Avoiding the snack aisle at the grocery store with Morgan.... lets just say it's probably easier to brush a great white sharks pearly whites while covered in fish guts. So I am really trying my best to stay away from the copius amount of cookies, chocolate and chips stashed in the cupboards. I think I'm doing rather well all things considered.

So what I'm really trying to say I suppose is that I'm still mourning the loss of my pre-pregnancy body... and trying to embrace the new lumpy me.
The weight battle rages on my friends... but I tell you.. one day soon I'll win this war!!!

Fever Free Family Fun!!

Today is Family Day!
One day in during the month of February the Canadian government has decided to give the hard working ppl of this country a day off to be with their families. As a Mom who is home 95% of the time...every day is family day for me and for that I am blessed. Morgan, however, gets to stay home with us today! YAY!! An extra set of hands is always nice... and who am I kidding.. another grown up to talk to is pure heaven!! Theres only so many times a day that you can answer a three year olds question about why the sky is blue... or explain to her why the cat does not want to wear her sweater... without craving a little grown up conversation!

We made no definate plans for the day, figuring we would do with the day what we liked. The morning was relaxed... no rushing to get dressed.. or stressing about where Carys had stashed her backpack b/c we are late to school. We took our time and enjoyed each others company! As the afternoon rolled around Nanna, who is here for a visit, looked a little worse for wear.. so Morgan and I packed the girls into their winter gear... loaded up the car and popped to Jay and Sarahs (who are bascially family) for a visit... and so that I could oogle and prod Sarahs baby bump.. in hopes that little man mckinstry would finally move for me.

Today has been a good day. The first in a week that Miss Addy has been 100% fever free! She looks much better. The redness under her eyes is slowly starting to lift. Her nose is no longer running like a faucet, and her energy has picked up. We are all breathing a sigh of relief. She's on the mend!!

Funny how just one regular day off to be together can be so refreshing!! No running around, no school, no errands, just family and free time!.

Now I know you may be wondering "for a photographer.. there seems to be a serious lack of PHOTOGRAPHS on this blog"... well my friends... they will be up shortly!.
I like to blog at the end of the day.. upstairs.. on my lap top, on my comfy bed.. away from Morgand and his noisy, horribly violent video games. So here lies the dilemma; all of my work is downstairs on the desktop, mere feet away from the obnoxious game of choice for the evening. But fret not! Tomorrow I shall venture downstairs, before Morgan gets home from work, and write a post.... I just find it hard to concentrate on typing over the sounds of gun fire and bomb explosions. I hear enough destruction dealing with two children on a daily basis!!

Back to the same old same old tomorrow. Kids, Cleaning, Laundry... repeat.
And maybe... a few photos in the mix ;)

another day.. another dollar... another trip to the hospital?

So, mark it on your calendars folks!. Today is the day I joined the blog-isphere!.
I have been meaning to put together a blog for the longest time, however what with starting my own business and chasing my two beautiful little munchkins, the idea of a blog got put on the backburner.. but here I am.... ready to type it aaaaalll out!.

The idea behind this blog is so everyone can get a sneak peak into the my crazy, yet wonderful life as a mum/photographer, or as I know like to call myself - a MOMTOG!. You can all follow along with my adventures with my girls, Carys (3) and Addison (1), and a sneak peek at the work that I do from week to week.

This week has been a tiring one to say the least! What with Valentines day, preschool adventures and one sick little toddler, I've hardly had five minutes to myself. Miss Addison, my lovely sweet timid bright blue eyed girl has gotten quite sick over the last few days and left us all a little baffled as to how to help her. My poor chicken has had a fever of 102+ for more than 3 days now... and the only thing combating the raging temperatures is the blessed tempra.

We ventured to the emergency room on Saturday. Her temp sky rocketed up to 104, and by that point I knew it was time to take the poor little tyke to see a doctor. After a battery of tests... ( two xrays, a cathetar for a urine sample, and a sepository - i know! doesn't your heart jsut ache for the babe?) all the doctors can come up with is that it a virus that's causing her raging temperature and to keep dousing her with drugs (which i HATE doing.. but what alternative am I left with?). Her eyes have the most unnerving red bags underneath them.. and she is so exhausted, your heart just bleeds for her. What I'd give to give her 5 minutes of peace and restful sleep!. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow!.

Carys has been such a good little girl. She too has had her fair share of colds and flus this month!. Spring come quick! My poor babes can't take much more of this!!

For the next few days, my mum has come from Kincardine for a visit with us. Its always a big help when she is here. Carys is like her shadow, and won't leave her side while she visits. It reminds me so much of my own Nanna and I. Its so lovely to see. With my mum here.. I'll be able to comfort and help my Addy.. while Nanna has a ball with Carys :)

During all this sickness mayhem... I did mangae to get in a mini shoot with two of my favourite people, Hen and her little boy Liam!. Hen and I are working on a maternity series which I hope to debut in the next few days! Keep your eyes peeled!!