I don't want 5 kids.

More specifically 5 boys. I love my nephews and I love my sons. But 5 boys might just push me over the edge!!

Having a great time though (even if it is very noisy!!). We are making kites, we have played with play dough, been to the park, jumped on the tramp, played with the golf sticks, played with sticks, been to the shops.....and they've only been here since Friday night!! We are going to Shorncliffe Pier tomorrow, a picnic today, State Library on Wednesday....and maybe rest on Thursday (yeah right!).

Here are some photos - plenty, plenty more to come!!

Update on my kids - Sam fully toilet trained - day and night!! He was waking up with a dry nappy every morning, and the other night when I was putting him to bed I said we need to put a nappy on, and he said "nah, I don't need one"....so I figured, why not give it a go? What a little champ!! Max is still very grizzly....so I am guessing it's more teeth on the way? Can't see any but am hoping to hell that's what it is, cos I don't want him whingy like this all the time!! Still standing every now and then on his own....for longer and longer. It's not all the time though, so am grateful for that.

Ok, best go sweep for the 4th time today!!

oh dear

a very quick post as one of my favourite shows is about to start.

This morning I was in the lounge room with Max, who was standing up holding onto the couch. He went to reach for me, and I think changed his mind....and found himself standing there by himself.

Not holding onto anything.

Standing.

Long enough for me to call to Clydey to check it out.

Ok, I think. It was a complete fluke. He's only 8.5 months old after all. He just found the right balance by chance. It won't happen again.

Ummmm. wrong. Twice more today he's done it.

So, I'm not saying that this means he'll be walking anytime soon, but holy crap. It was enough to scare the bejesus out of me.

I WANT MY BABY BACK.

Ok, off now.

PS Sam is ok, just driving me bloody mental. Not sure if it's me or him, but I could do with a break from him.

PPS Congrats to Bobby and Lindsay on the birth of Thomas James. YAY for a boy for you guys!!

I feel sick.

But in a good way. I have just rung and ordered two new lenses for my camera. I have been trying for almost 6 months to decide on which lens to get next, and had finally narrowed it down to 2 different ones. Was planning on getting one now and one early next year.....so my next dilemma was which one to get now and which one to get next year!! I kept changing my mind, swinging back and forth from the zoom lens to the fixed lens. I think Clydey got sick of me and my indecision and yesterday just told me to get both of them! So today...that's exactly what I did!

Luckily I have at least 4 shoots in the next few weeks....so I had best push for some BIG orders from them to pay for the damn things!!

Now, kids wise, Max is still teething, poor kid. The two top ones - one of them is just there, about to break the skin. Just wish it would happen already! Luckily for me though (I keep saying, someone is up there looking out for me!) his sleep isn't affected in the slightest...he is just a bit whingy. Sam has been pushing my buttons too....but I don't know if that's just cos I'm exhausted from the teething child and I'm not in the mood to deal with him too?????? sometimes I just don't know if I do anything right with him - he often back chats, and can be really, really cheeky (not in a good way), and then other times he is the sweetest child around. I'm hoping it's just this age, but who knows.

Got my first stranger booking for a photo shoot....bit scary but looking forward to it. A 7 year old boy and his 3 year old little brother (and mum and dad!). I'm thinking I might see how she feels about letting them get ridiculously dirty for part of the shoot (the end part I guess?) and get some photos of them in a mud fight or something like that? Anyway, will think up some things and see how we go.

Ok, best go have a cuppa before Max wakes up. Some new photos.

Hey, have I mentioned that Max is a thumbsucker? Well, he most certainly is! It's oh so cute!

Big Boy Undies

I had been telling Sam for weeks that once we got to the end of the nappy box, no more nappies. He seemed ok with it. Finally we got to the end of the box. So no more nappies. We started 2 weeks ago with big boy undies - and so far we have had 5 accidents:

- 1st accident on the first day of big boy undies - late in the afternoon, couldn't be bothered remembering to ask to go to the toilet, I think!
- 2nd accident, on the 2nd day of big boy undies, and same time in the afternoon
- 3rd accident - first poo, didn't really know what to do!
- 4th accident, was knocking on the door (we were at friends) to let him in to the toilet, and no one heard him.
- 5th accident, a touch of the trots - that was GROSS to clean up!!

So, it's actually been really easy! Incredibly easy actually. Ridiculously easy. In fact, he's still been wearing nappies at night, but I really think I can stop that soon too, as his nappy is dry every morning.

I was so worried about him not being toilet trained by now, but this whole thing has made me really glad that I waited until he was ready, and I didn't push it at a younger age. It's been so stress free, that he has just embraced it, and best of all I don't have to deal with accidents every day....and less washing of course which is always a bonus in my books! Now we just need to get rid of that damn dummy!!

So, Sambo this post is for you!! Love you baby....and I'm extremely proud of you kiddo!

Max's feet

are perfectly ok. The specialist seemed to think it was a joke that we were even referred to him. When I told him the child health nurse said he should be able to bear weight flat on his feet by 6 months, he said "bullshit"!! So $130 down the drain...but nice to know Max doesn't have any problems!!

Trying to work out if we can send Clydey over for his sister's (Hi Kel!) wedding next year....possibly with one of the boys! Max would be better...as it wouldn't cost us as much, and they haven't met him yet - but I guess it will depend if he's like Sambo who needs his mummy, or Mr Independent which I suspect he will be! He certainly isn't as clingy to me as Sam used to be at this age. I keep telling Clydey he can get an overseas trip and I get a new camera!! We'll see....

No other news. Just wanted to let you know that bit.

Check out my proud mummy moment - Sam took this photo of Nat, Max and I - and the camera was on manual! How good is it? My little budding photographer!!

back again quickly

just to post a few of my favourite photos from the shoots I've done lately...will come back later to post some of the newborn ones I got of Sebastian.

Yeah yeah, I know

long time between posts!!

So....a quick catch up of what we've been up to.

Max - commando crawling. He's been semi-mobile for months now (combination of rolling and nose diving forward cos he was getting his knees up under him!!) but now he's worked it out. And getting quicker by the day. We've moved his cot into Sam's room...and lo and behold but he started sleeping through!! I missed his specialist appt for his feet - thought it was at 2pm but it was at 11.40am. Whoops. It's now this week. He's a hoover....god help you if you aren't quick enough shovelling food into his mouth. Eats anything.

Sam - still coming into our bed almost every night!! It's generally not until the early hours of the morning..and to be honest, I quite like it, and I figure it's a phase. He'll grow out of it just as Max starts it!! No day care - have met 2 day care mums but not sold on either of them (when the first referred to breastfeeding as "booby juice" I knew I didn't want any son of mine going there!! Latest conversation with Clydey that made me pee myself laughing :-

Clydey: Sam please don't do that, you will hurt Max. Sam...SAM

Sam: (storming off, then spinning around to face Clydey) Just forget it dad, YOU are cranky and I am naughty...so just forget it

(Sam slams door)

And the latest conversation with me that made me laugh too. He's started calling Clydey Clydey instead of Dad.

Sam: Where are we going Mum?

Me: Into the city to pick Daddy up from work

Sam: (hesitates) Which Daddy?

Me: Ummmmm....your Daddy?????

Sam: You mean Clydey?

Me: Yes honey, I mean Clydey

Sam: Ok, cool.

He's cracking me up. He can frustrating, adorable, cheeky, loving all at the same time.....but I'm loving him!! Check out the photo of Kya....Sam got to her with a permanent marker! I laugh every time I look at her...but Clydey thinks it's pet abuse!!

Clydey - working, working, working. Got a nice bonus this week though!!

Me - Well, I'm working, working, working too! After my last post where I had done a maternity shoot and a christening in the one weekend...the pregnant one had her baby a month early!! We only just made it with the photos - how lucky was that? So since then I've done a newborn shoot (it was a boy byt he way - Sebastian James), plus a family of 3 and an engagement/housewarming/30th party for a friend of a friend - in exchange for hair cuts and colours for the rest of the year! Great bartering I say!! This week I am photographing the board of a company for a brochure....but that's a freebie job. More to get my name out there. Have another shoot on Friday too with a little girl Sam went to day care with and her little brother. Next week we are heading out to Dalby for the week to see mum and dad. On the way I'm stopping in Toowoomba to take photos of Nickers who is 28 weeks pregnant. I also have to arrange to take maternity shots for Lindsay too. Good for business having all these pregnant friends, isn't it? I'm trying to work out which lens to get next.....but can't for the life of me pick one! I want to upgrade my camera too...but that might have to wait 6-12 months I think. I want a 30D, but there is rumour of a 40D coming out next month...so will wait until that comes down in price I think.

Now to send out some messages -

A big congrats to Rob and Tiff on the birth of Sebastian James (23/7/07)

A big congrats to JC and Thommo on the birth of Sebastian Samuel (26/7/07)

A huge happy 3rd birthday to Rach Harris - wish we could have been there to celebrate with you

Think that's about it from us for now. I really must try to do this more often. I'm only here now cos I woke up at 4am thinking of this photo shoot I want to do, and couldn't get back to sleep. Typical. Max will sleep until after 8am now!! Enjoy the photos....