[Personal] Halloween 2010 | Southeast Missouri Photographer

Again? It's already Halloween again?

My baby John Cooper was supposed to be a Halloween 2009 baby. That was his official date to be born. Obviously, he had other plans.

Seeing that he was only 5 days old on Halloween last year(and the fright of H1N1 lingered so closely), he didn't actually get to trick-or-treat. I, however, took my older ones out, knowing full well that I didn't need to be doing that after giving birth to a 9+ lb. baby.

Needless to say, my children as well as many children, enjoy the Halloween festivities. The dressing up, the make-up, the hair paint, the candy. Oodles and oodles of sugary sweetness. I admit, I enjoy it too, watching the kids get so excited about it.

And this year, John Cooper gets to make his Halloween debut as a Lovable Lion. We've got a mix of characters with Haley as a Fairy God-witch, Brennan as Billy the Exterminator(minus the mullet wig), and Aubrey as a Bat-a-rina. I am so happy to have captured an image of all 4 of them because they usually cooperate long enough. I swear, this must be what it feels like to part the Red Sea. Or have all four kids sleep in their own beds. (That is another story.)

Anyways, from my family to yours: Have a safe, fun and happy Halloween!

I Can Do It Myself | Hayti Missouri Child Photographer

Sugar Bear.

You have completely exhausted me today. I can't even believe that I'm blogging tonight. You've fussed at me. You refused to pick up toys. You've stated to me that you are mad at me. More than once. You cried over being the first to take your bath tonight. You yelled at me because you wanted to take a bath after you took a shower with me. You even wigged out over your new bike not riding good on the carpet.

You've been a holy terror today, I must admit.

But your spirit. Oh, your spirit, your drive, your independence astounds me.

I watched you tonight at VBS as you climbed over the church pews and Mrs. Shea grabbed you. And if I've heard it once, I've heard it a million times:

I can do it myself.

However, she picked you up and sat you down in the pew. But for added measure, you stood back up and then sat back because everything has to be on your terms. No matter what.

I get aggravated because you act just.like.me. It's so scary. Even as I made your little hands pick up each little toy, I affirmed to you that you have certainly met your match in me with stubbornness. What I should've said is that I've met my match. I can just see it now: You and I throwing down on a parking lot somewhere when you're 16.

God help both of us.

As a matter of fact, just a few minutes ago(yeah, it's after 10 p.m. and you're still going strong!), you asked me if I was going to tell you that I was sorry. No way, sister, that was you being punished for your actions. Your reply? "Well, I'm not going to tell you I'm sorry unless you're sorry." Snap, snap.

You apparently forgot that you already apologized earlier, so snap, snap back to you.

But I know you'll never, ever have to depend on anyone for anything. I find it hard to foster your independence and strong will without breaking your spirit. Because these traits are what will get you further in life. Trust me, I'm here because of them. So every day, I watch you, hoping to get a glimpse of the girl I was and the woman you'll be.

There's certainly no one like you, Aubrey, and you make life interesting, funny, crazy, maddening at times, but you still melt my heart every day. Even on days like today.

Momma, you're the best momma e-vuhr. I love my new bike!

Just don't make any long trips on it. I know you can do it, just don't.

Happy 4th Birthday! Love you, Sugar Bear!

Dinosaur King Turns 6 Today | Hayti Missouri Photographer

My dear sweet Dinosaur King,

Today is your 6th birthday, and I find it almost impossible to type that without an ocean of tears in my eyes. It really seems like yesterday when I discovered I was pregnant with you. Oh, shocked couldn't even begin to scratch the surface.

And neither does my love for you.

The other day, I came across a picture of you when you were about two and a half, sitting next to your baby sister. What I noticed was the striking blonde hair and blue eyes, but what grabbed my attention more was your round little face. And I teared up, as I tried to remember the little toddler who couldn’t speak as intelligently as you do now, even with your Elmer Fudd pronunciations. (It's one of the many endearing qualities you possess.)





Now that you are getting taller by the week, your little face is also getting slimmer and more boyish. Your dad and I talk it about all the time. And time. Oh time. How it goes by all too fast, but I’m glad I do realize that your boyhood is short-lived.

And so, I live to soak it up. I live to hear your stories at school, how you didn’t get any check-marks, and your increasing knowledge of dinosaurs and what kind of eaters they are and where they lived and what time period in which they lived. It astounds me. But even more, I live to hear you tell me that you’re never moving out of our house. Ever. That you are going to live with me and Daddy forever.

This will always be your home. And you'll forever have a place in our hearts.

And let me say, you’re quite the young man. Even if you weren’t my son, I would know that. You’re sensitive and caring, and if you were never anything more than that, I would be beyond proud of you. You take things to heart, wearing it on your sleeve, much like me. We can’t help it. Just know that when you heart hurts, at least you gave something meaningful to feel that way. And for that, there are no apologies.

................................

You know, I watch you, even when you think I’m not paying attention. I listen to you, even when you think I’m not hearing you. And I hold you, even when your sound asleep and you have no idea. I’m happy that you still give me kisses and you aren’t embarrassed to do so, even at school in front of your friends, but I know the days are numbered when that will no longer be the case. I just hope that even when I’m an old lady, and you're a retired man, that you’ll still kiss me and tell me how much love me. And maybe you’ll read to me when my poor old eyes can’t see very well.

Earlier tonight, I read to you my favorite, most heartstring-tugging book, "Let Me Hold You Longer" by Karen Kingsbury. I bought this for you when you were about two years old, and there's never been a time when I've read it that I didn't shed a few tears.

Tonight was no exception.

Except tonight, you recognized my sadness when you looked up from the final page. And with your sweet smile, you wrapped your skinny little arms around my neck, while your poor little Clone Wars pajamas soaked up my tears. I said, "I love you, son."

And you replied, "I love you, too, Momma."

................................

Although I miss you being a baby, I really enjoy you at this age too, because you are so fun to talk to. So interesting. So insightful. So serious.

So inquisitive.

From the "did-you-know's" to the "why-do's" to the "how-come's", your wonderment never ceases. Why you even asked me during our mommy and me cry-fest, "Did you know that you can fish in Heaven?" That mind of yours never stops. It's always thinking.

Getting you back on track, I told you that I'm happy that you're growing up, that we're raising such a smart and caring little man. Some very lucky young lady is going to hit the jackpot when she snags you, my son. Mark my words.

But, I know.

"I'm nev-uhr getting mel-weed, Momma. I'm livin' wif you and Daddy fuh-evah."

I don't care if you never get mel-weed, or if you get mel-weed a thousand times. You can live with us for as long as you want. But...

Forever isn't long enough, my son.

But for now, for this very day, I want to wish you, my first-born son, a very happy 6th birthday. There may be another little man in my life, but you’ll always be my baby.

I love you very much, Thomas Brennan Greenwell.

Happy Birthday,

love, your Momma.

In front | Stephanie Greenwell Photography

Being a person who photographs other people, it's very uncommon to find myself in front of the camera. Mostly because no one in my house knows how to operate the dang thing, but also because I'm protective of my camera. I know, I know.

It's just a camera.

I mean my life doesn't revolve around this inanimate object, at least that's what I tell myself. But frankly, I do have a tight relationship with my camera. Even though I intend to upgrade this year(I hope), I feel like me and ol' Camera have a history.

And we are thick as thieves.

It's captured sweet moments of my children, the birth of my latest child, programs and plays, Mother Nature at her finest, and even helped me launch a so far successful small business. But don't get me wrong, if it were destroyed, my life would go on. Albeit, I'd be sad, but I know it can be replaced.

I'm just not ready to invest in another relationship yet.

So, since I'm always behind the camera and I have absolutely no images of me and my newest baby together (because, c'mon, that big heavy sucker is not as easy to turn around one-handed and snap those two-person shots with part of an arm in view!), I decided to let my 8 year old daughter take some pictures of me and John Cooper together. In my style.

With the settings already in place for her, neck strap around her neck, I just played with John Cooper and had her snap away. She was so very excited to get to do this. (Fortunately, Aubrey and Brennan were in the other room, or else that neck strap would have been ripped in two over who gets to hold the camera!)

The following is one of the images she got. I edited the image to my liking, and I will forever cherish this sweet reminder of my love of being a mom. One child photographing mom and another child together.

And Haley thinks she wants to be a photographer when she grows up.

Thankyouverymuch.

Slackers Anonymous | Hayti Missouri Photographer

I've been so bad. Remember when I said I would be blogging more in 2010? Yeah, that time and that other time. Uh-huh, I totally fell flat on that 2010 resolution. To tell the truth, I really thought I would get with the program, but it's really hard to do.

You see, going back to work and familiarizing ourselves with the new addition in the house and my other kids and school and cooking and breastfeeding and editing and laundry(oops, the hubs does most of that!) and giving baths and, oh yeah, let's not forget, Facebooking and scheduling 2010 sessions and wiping my hiney...you catch my drift, right?

Add blogging to the mix and well it makes for a recipe of complete madness and chaos. Oh and I forgot to mention, dieting, which is in its own world of craziness. Except the only thing dieting has done for me is give me the will power to get off the couch and grab a couple of cookies. Dang diets.

And while on I'm the subject of dieting, all of you new mommies-to-be who are planning on breastfeeding because, "like, I will totally lose weight if I breastfeed!", well, I will tell you this: Don't go to Vegas with those kinds of odds. You'll be ravenous. You'll eat more. Heck, you might even look at your baby's fat legs and think about how tasty they are. But then you'll remember that you're not a cannibal. At least, that was my case. You may in fact be one. To each his own, I say.

Anyways, while I'm uploading some images to my lab, I thought I'd take a moment and reintroduce myself to you.

Hi, my name is Stephanie Greenwell. I'm a die-hard fat momma, I love sweets, my husband, and a good episode of "The Big Bang Theory" (and countless others). I'm a computer geek, a forever-student of photography, a Fox news junkie, and a child of God. I'm passionate about my beliefs(and if you don't want to hear it, don't engage me!) I crack up at myself all the time, I don't get jokes and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm a slacker-blogger, but if you elect me for office in 2010, I promise I will blog more and be the best dang blogger-er on my street. But most of all, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't throw tomatoes, real or virtual, at me for trying to be funny.

Lately, I've been trying to get things in order(see above madness), and I hope and will try to blog more. I'm starting to book my 2010 sessions, so of course, I'll be posting "Sneak Peeks" and sessions I've photographed. So come back from time to time, sit down and enjoy a couple of cookies with me.

Oh, did you say you wanted to see another image of my new baby boy? I can certainly oblige. He's now three months old and just adorable as can be. Don't be j.

And Where Does Time Go Exactly?? | Hayti Missouri Photographer

Today, my baby boy is 11 weeks old! 11 friggin' weeks! Can anyone tell where time goes? Because from my records, those last 11 weeks of my pregnancy moved at a turtle's pace. On this side of the pregnancy, time has kicked up to super-high speed!! So, can anyone tell me, where does time go exactly? Depressing, I tell ya. Pass the Prozac, please.

John Cooper is a growing boy, no doubt, and he looks older than 11 weeks. But that's expected when the kid was born the size of a small car! Just kidding, kiddo. At his two month check-up, he weighed 14 lbs. 6 oz and was 23 in. long. In medical terms, he's in the 99th percentile!! That's how my little Michelin man rolls...literally. Rolls and rolls of fat everywehere!

(On a sidenote: The kid sleeps like a dream! Like, up to 8 hours each night! I know, I'm so lucky. And no, I'm not giving him a sedative.)

So, John Cooper and I had an impromptu shoot this past Saturday. I tried to get him to sleep so I could get those sleepy images so desired in the beginning of their lives. It took a while and it ended up working to my advantage because the light coming through was stunning.

So here's to you my chub-a-lub. You beautiful, sweet chub-a-lub. How I love thee!

Introducing John Cooper Greenwell | Hayti Missouri Baby Photographer

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful time with family and friends and you find that you have a lot for which to be thankful. I certainly know that I do, especially with my God, my husband and my children, all for whom I'm most thankful. We've been blessed beyond any measure and only God gets credit for that.

And I'm certainly thankful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon my ever-growing business this year. Thank you to my clients for taking a chance on my journey into photography and I can only pray that you know how much it means to me and my family.

___________________________________________________________


I wanted to post earlier about the birth of our son, but having a newborn and caring for our other children and trying to recuperate, well, blogging about it took a back seat for a while. So I thought, what a wonderful Thanksgiving treat to my readers to introduce our newest addition...



Now, on with the story...

I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Well, actually, I'd been feeling that way for a while. This pregnancy had been so different from my others, but when the swelling set in the last week before before he was born, I was just praying my doctor would actually schedule an induction. Like the other times.

I don't know if my doctor was going to schedule me for an induction, but when I gained 8 lbs. in 9 days, oh, I knew he had to do something, even if I had to bring it up first.

"Oh, Doc, please tell me that we can schedule to have this baby soon?"

I was two days shy of being 39 weeks, and with my pleads, Doc decided to schedule it for Monday, October 26. Good, I got my way. And now I had 5 days to get my stuff in order. No problem.

Except that I didn't feel prepared until the day night before. I mean, getting bags packed for three kids to stay with our friends, getting my bags packed, making sure the baby's new clothes were washed, laundry done(well, that was my husband's job), batteries for cell phones, camera, & video camera were charged, making sure the monkey was caged and had enough food, er, just kidding. And we also had people in our kitchen working on Sunday to finish getting our walls done and painted, which look awesome, by the way. So needless to say, Sunday really wasn't relaxing as I was so anxious about the happenings of the next day.

I fell asleep around 11 p.m. only to have to wake up at 3 a.m. to get ready and drive an hour to Cape to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. And I was oh so hungry, but couldn't have anything to eat. Only ice chips. And they tasted like Heaven.

We got checked in around 5:15 or so, and everything started rolling from there. Tommy was doing his usual stuff, being the early morning entertainment for the nurses. I got hooked up to the fetal monitor, which proved to be quite a hassle since the baby wouldn't stay in one place. I had blood drawn, I was poked and prodded, and eventually hooked up to the Pitocin drip. Eventually, I started feeling contractions and I was getting anxious. I couldn't wait to meet my lil' man. And I was hungry. Like ravenous. Road kill would've probably sufficed if it were sitting in front of me.

At first, I thought I might tough out the contractions, but as they progressively got stronger, well, I decided that I'm not so tough. I took the darn thing. But the drawback was I think I got a little too much numbing because I felt a little loopy, but I couldn't feel much else. Well, the contractions I felt, but they weren't painful. The nurses probably thought I was crazy because I kept asking if I was supposed to feel like I felt. "I have no legs!", I kept thinking. Really though, this wasn't like my previous pregnancies I can tell you that.

Well, after some prepping and pushing and pushing and more pushing, John Cooper made his way into this world on October 26 at 3:19 p.m. He certainly was a lot larger than I expected, weighing in at 9 lbs. 7 oz. and he was 21 1/2 in. long. And he was puuurty. Just like my other children, he was chubby and pink and had a full head of dark hair. I got to hold him as soon as he came out, which never happened before. But I wanted him clean so I could kiss him without getting, well, yucky. And once that happened, I couldn't get enough of him. His soft skin, moist lips, tiny hands. Oh, I'd have ten more if they stayed babies.




I uploaded images from his birth to my Facebook account so our other children could see him. The kids stayed at a family friend's home and when I called to let them know to look at the images, the happiness was apparent. I couldn't wait for them to meet their little brother. We came home the next evening, thank goodness for that, and when they came in, it was pure elation as we had not seen the kids in almost 48 hours, but even more, the kids were happy to finally see John Cooper in the flesh. Even though he was a big baby, he was still tiny, especially seeing him next to the other kids. These days, the kids can't get enough of him, from holding him, to talking and singing to him, to making faces at him. It's almost too much. Brennan wants me to have a million more babies, he says. Dream on, son, dream on.


___________________________________________________________


John Cooper is a month old today. Hard to believe how fast the time goes by and this sinking feeling sets in when you know that the newborn and baby stages are short-lived. He's starting to smile more frequently, especially in response to my voice. Makes me want to cry even now. He's been an ideal baby, my "dream baby" as I refer to him. He breastfeeds like a champ and has now grown 3 more inches and has gained over 2 lbs. since his birth. He even sleeps like a dream. I guess God knew I needed a good sleeper after the many restless nights of not-so-great sleepers. Our lil' butterball has us all wrapped around his tiny fingers and we couldn't feel more thankful and blessed as we do right now.

When he was three days old, he had his first impromptu photo shoot with me. He had another one at 11 days old and I have to say, it's a lot harder to shoot your own baby when you just had him and your haven't fully recuperated from giving birth. He's beauty, even if I am his momma. Enjoy!

M.I.P.

Missing. In. Pregnancy.

See, I've been kidnapped. I know, I know. You see me out and about, read my status updates on Facebook, even follow my blog. Which leads me to my point.

I've been missing.

But more like I've been a slacker blogger for the last several weeks. Not good, especially since I've had a lot about which to blog, but frankly, I just took a break. See, I'm about 12 days away from my due date, and I've been consumed with getting ready for bringing our son into this world. So yes, my pregnancy has taken me hostage from my blog.

And since this might be my last blog before my baby boy gets here, I just thought I'd check in with my readers. If I still have any.

I've been feeling good during this pregnancy. Haven't gained as much weight this time, but a good view of my belly and one would disagree(see below). Found out I have gestational diabetes, which was a new one for me, so I have to prick my finger three times a day. I've kept it under control, so it's really not as bad as it seems, unless you can't stand the sight of blood.

I've got three wild and adventurous children that I find really hard to keep up with the closer I get to my delivery date. I think the anticipation is getting to them too.

And my baby boy is all prepared for the party at the Greenwell house. I think that's why he's always moving and kicking, maybe even dancing. Nevertheless, I know he won't be mild-mannered and quiet!

Well, there you have it. I'm pregnant. I'm due soon. And I can't wait.

This past Friday, a friend of mine came over to shoot some pictures of my kids painting my sizable belly like a pumpkin. Kind of going along with the fall theme and the fact that baby boy is due on Halloween. But more to do with the fact that my belly looks like the "Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!", so what the heck? We had fun and the images are, well, interesting. Here's a few to show off that massive canvas of mine and my other little pumpkins drawing on their soon-to-be brother.

Wish us well! And hopefully baby boy won't resent me for the following images!

Thanksgiving...On Labor Day

It's Labor Day(ha! funny, I'll be really experiencing labor in a few weeks!), so I wanted to take a few moments and post a personal post today. I've been so busy with photo shoots this summer, so I slacked on posting anything other than images from each of those shoots.

As many of you know, I'm expecting a bouncing baby boy in October, Halloween to be exact. I finally took a break from shooting from my busy summer schedule because who really wants to see a fat pregnant woman sweating, losing her breath, and panting like a dog in the hot summer sun?? Yeah, that's what it was getting to, even though I've fared better this pregnancy than any other one I've had. But I do have to say the summer weather has been quite mild compared to almost every summer in the Bootheel.

Well, moving on.

When I started this small photography business last fall, I never, you hear me???, never imagined that it would take off like it did and that I'd manage to have a waiting list of more than 30 clients. Holy moley!!! I just re-read that and it still blows my mind!

But yes, I have a waiting list, mostly I'm sure because I only shoot once, maybe twice, a week and I also have a 30-hour week job and oh, did I mention I have three other little munchkins at home? And a husband? And then I had to go and make the decision to quit taking on shoots after a certain point in my pregnancy because, again, the sweating and panting and losing my breath thing isn't that flattering. Seriously.

But I'm going to try to fulfill shoots for those clients as soon as humanly possible. I mean, I know I'll be on maternity leave from my day job, but that doesn't mean I'll be shooting, with baby in a sling. I mean, c'mon, this won't be my first rodeo at getting to know a newborn, but it will be new to me to get to know my new son. And every moment with a child, a newborn, is precious when you only get so much time off. Again, I will try to shoot what I can, so please bear with me on this one.

Now, back to Thanksgiving...Ooh, I can't wait to eat some turkey! Oh, not that Thanksgiving.

I want to give thanks for so many things in case I get sidetracked on the actual Thanksgiving holiday with poopie diapers, breastfeeding, new baby smells, and oh-so-good turkey and dressing.

First off, thanks to God for letting me bring into this world another precious child, whom we can't wait to meet. I know my little man is already prepared for the party at his new home because he's probably heard so much raucous fun times from the time his ears developed!

Second, thanks to all the clients who had faith in my new found love of photography and decided to take a chance on having me capture precious images of their families. Even while I know I still have so much more to learn. You have rocked my esteem and given me hope for this business!

Another thing, when I found I was pregnanct in March, I was sooooo dreading the fact that I would be pregnant in the hot summer. Based on my last pregnancies, I got so big, so uncomfortable, so swollen, and I just knew what was in store for me this time around. I had visions of bloated Violet from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (ca. 1971) after she chewed the forbidden gum. Except I wouldn't be purple, I would be red and blistered! But I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised in two respects: the weather has been relatively mild and I haven't blown up as previously stated. Oh, I'm pregnant alright, just not all over!

I'm thankful for my husband. I know, he won't appreciate the shout-out, but he's seriously been there for me. From doing laundry, cleaning house, hauling kids around, you know. These days, I get a little winded and run down because baby boy lives in my ribs most hours of the day. Or he's down South resting on my one and only bladder. He's really a mover! Oh, and my hubby has been great at supporting this biz of mine, even when I spend more time on my computer than scratching his back!

Another thank you to my friends who have listened to my hormonal grumpiness. I'm not always smiles and rainbows and sugar-coated sweetness, but some days it's hard not to vent about little things that really won't mount to a hill of beans, even when I think it's a mountain. And thanks for checking on me too. It makes me feel loved, even when I'm not a rainbow!

And one more...well, there's so many things, but I know you'll find yourself bored with this post if I don't cut it short.

I must give praise to the Lord. I'm seriously blessed, and when I find I'm being cranky, ungrateful or what have you, I always get a reality check in some way, shape or form. It's like my kick-in-the-butt from God. Even when I fight back. I have a loving husband, a beautiful home, even with its fix-'er-up projects, great friends and most of all, healthy, vibrant, always entertaining children that love me so much, even when I get impatient. They've given me so much purpose in life and I don't know how I thought life was so awesome before them. Before their kisses, their hugs, their "I-love-you-so-much-Mommy" words. They'll just never know how they gave me life.

So on this Labor Day, I leave you with this image of me at 32 weeks. Enjoy the day with your families, your kids. Don't let a day go by without letting them know you love them. And thank them for loving you.

[Lifestyle] Family:My Children

This past Saturday, my scheduled client had to cancel due to sickness, so I decided to take my children out on a photo session. I mean, come on, I'm a photographer and I've yet to "schedule" a shoot with them. Mostly because it can be a nightmare trying to get all three of them ready - which turned out not to be so bad - and then I have to contend with them over shooting because, you know, I'm their mom. And with that being said, they took full advantage of my desperation to get some good shots of them.

Bribery works best, I've found.

So, the morning was extremely humid. Like a fat pig sittin' in a sauna. That kind of slick sweatiness. That's what I was feeling.

And of course, my kids got cranky and when they don't want to pose or give me a natural smile, they just don't. Flat-out. Even bribery wouldn't give me an edge. However, I managed to pull some rabbits out of my hat with some funny things to say, when I wasn't aggravated with the stubborness they put up against me.

I have to say that some of the images I captured are some of my favorites ever. I'm sure because these are my babies, but it's my photography, I can do what I want to. I hope you all enjoy my hard-earned efforts in trying to get Haley, Brennan and Aubrey to strike a pose. Trust me, I sweated worked my hiney off to get the following!

Miss Independent

She woke up this morning tired, very, very tired. I did my usual "Happy Birthday" serendade on her special day, no movement. I kissed her, stiff as a board. So, being the gentle mom that I am, I just rolled her over; she finally let out a sigh.

"Good morning, my sugar bear!"

"Mmmmmm."

"It's your birthday today, let's get up!"

"Mmmmmm."

So I kissed her totally kissable lips. Gosh, how I love her lips! Makes me jealous of her. Anyways, I finished getting ready, only to come back to a still sleeping beauty, refusing to celebrate her day.

See, we went to the lake yesterday and the kids had a fulfilled day of playing in the water, cruisin' in the boat, and riding on the tube. Even my one-day-shy-of-3-years-old baby got on for a ride. Only she got flipped off it with Uncle Randy.

Fortunately, she was just fine, because, well, she is Miss Independent and tough as nails. And she had on her life jacket. When they came back, she said, "I fell off and went in the air!" as if to let me know that she's fine and nothing will phase her. Go figure.

Among her many traits and qualities, she's quite self-sufficient and knows what she wants, when she wants it. She'll debate with you like a lawyer, and she no doubt has any trouble expressing herself. And don't tell her she can't do something because she will show you that she can. And she will.

Like getting herself dressed without my assistance and when I put on an article of clothing, she takes it off and says, "I'm gonna start all over and do it by myself." There, she told me.

Like pushing her chair up the counter to climb up on the counter to get a honey bun out of the cabinet after I told her she couldn't have one. There, she showed me.

Like when she decided to she was done swimming at our neighbor's pool, so she gathered her shoes and towel and decided to walk home, by herself, until I caught her at the end of their driveway. There, she's Miss Independent and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm only of use to her when she doesn't want to do something or when she's ready to snuggle and pull on my hair and suck her thumb. That's when I know she still needs me.

My baby turns three today. Three years of watching her grow up, literally, grow up because she walks and talks like a grown up. She's tempermental, beautiful, strong-willed, independent, smart, loving, and she's all mine. She's all me. (So, I've heard.)

Happy 3rd birthday, Sugar Bear! "I love you so much!"

Food, Friends, and Fun in the Sun

Yesterday, we went to Reelfoot Lake and we all had a great time, especially our kids. If I believed in reincarnation, I do believe that my children would've been dolphins. The kind that jump out of water and perform tricks.

They love being in the water. And I wonder why we're not living on the beach somewhere, and in the words of my husband, "picking up cans for a living." We all love being near the water, especially in Florida, but being at the lake comes just as close just because of the sand and sun and fun in the sun.

I managed to get a few pictures taken of the kids, but they weren't that interested in my paparazzi-like stalking, and the warmer it got, the more I wanted to watch them play instead of snap pictures of them. Although I do regret not getting any of my son not only driving Uncle Randy's boat, but also his perfect navigation into the dock slip, not once, but twice.

Nevertheless, we got a little too much sun, but enjoyed a fabulous day of food, fun, and friends. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and remember that we celebrate this day in remembrance of those brave soldiers that have given us the liberty to live in this free country, nicely equipped with beaches and lakes.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

No Good Deed Goes (Almost) Unpunished

I have a love for most of God's creatures: dogs, cats, cows, bugs, frogs, turtles, and many more. Except mosquitoes and spiders.I'd be convicted of murder one in a court of law over the thousands of mosquitoes I've killed in my life. I hate 'em. And spiders somewhat freak me out, all those little legs and their tenacity of spinning webs in record time. I digress...

Yesterday, as I drove home from picking up one of my children from her daycare, I spotted one lone turtle on Hwy. 412. Seeing that this turtle was in danger of losing it's life, I decided that I would turn around to get out and save lil Turt-baby, my name for it. Must be the love of creatures coupled with the hormones.

I pulled off to the side of the road about 100 yards past the turtle, checked traffic and U-turned to go back to my rescue in progress. I felt good. I was going to save this little creature. However, when I pulled up, I gasped in disbelief. I felt sadness. Some jerk, and yes, whoever you are, you are a heartless jerk, had run over the poor turtle and it was a terrible sight to see. I made me feel sick to my stomach because Turt-baby wasn't right in the line of one's wheels, it was almost to the center line. Which led me to believe that said jerk intentionally killed Turt-baby. On the spot.

So, I'm not telling this story to make myself sound like some saint or heroine, but I believe in helping. Helping to take care of the beautiful things God put on this earth. While my good deed intentions didn't save this turtle, I can tell you that God knows who did this and Jerk will have to answer to Him for it. And though Jerk may have never thought twice about it, I have.

Right after my attempts, I decided to call my husband to vent about how cruel people are, and in the process, I was going to make another U-turn to go back home. Using cell phone + making U-turn = Disaster waiting to happen. I looked in my rear-view mirror, nothing. I briefly looked ahead to see if there was anything coming in the lane that I was going to get in. Never saw it.

It. The small car full of people, kids in the back, not in seatbelts. Once I made the U-turn, for some reason, I realized I had pulled out in front of oncoming traffic, then I floored it into the median, watching what I thought was about to be a horrible wreck. I've replayed in my head a million times.

Fortunately, the driver slammed her brakes enough and I sped fast enough to avoid what would've been a terrible wreck, and totally my fault. I was in total disbelief, once again. I gained my shocked composure and got out to apologize profusely to this woman. She was very nice and laughed, I'm sure out of shock also, but her passenger friend, looking stunned and speechless, just looked at me, probably wanting to kill me right there. On the spot.

I looked in the backseat with about five kids, out of seat belts, and then it hit me. To save one turtle, I almost altered some lives. I stupidly explained to this unbelievably nice driver what I had been up to, pointing to dead Turt-baby right next to us on the highway. I'm sure she thought, "You idiot, all of that for this?!?"

After I saw that everyone was okay, physically, I walked back to my truck and sat there for a minute. My daughter was oblivious to the trauma caused and the would-be tragedy that was averted, for she was wearing her headphones, happily watching a movie. I let my potential victims go ahead of me and waited for the other cars to pass.

I then called my husband to tell him about my misadventures. He sighed, then said, "Stephanie, leave the turtles alone. And please be careful out there," as if I were in a jungle of hungry animals looking for human flesh to eat. But I understood his concern.

So while I tried to exercise a good deed, I also wreaked havoc in the process. The jerk who carelessly killed an innocent turtle also led me to traumatize a few other people because I was upset and didn't pay attention.

But I will press on, hoping good works can still be done, with a lot more caution and attention. Because there are many good deeds that go unpunished.

Rest in peace, Turt-baby.

A Mother's Day Wish

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. A day for moms, young and old. First-timers and been-there-done-thatters. Grown from the belly and grown from the heart moms.

Mother's Day is always a treat for me. I don't know why, but I suspect it has to do with how excited my kids get over it being mommy's day, although it doesn't change their behavior. And with every Mother's Day, I reminisce over how I became a mother, unexpectantly.

You see, I didn't think I could have kids according to one doctor, but never really worried about it until I surprisingly became pregnant. Obviously, I have no trouble conceiving, carrying, and bringing into this world my children. But I have friends who have.

Friends who deserve to be parents, who would be loving to and provide for their children. It makes me sad to think of all the kids who belong to people who are so undeserving as parents, and those who are beyond qualified, will never know the blessing it is. It's only something God knows and for me to question would be wrong. But I want those friends to know that your dream is not lost; God has a plan for you. My wish for you is to keep your faith in God and know that this mother prays for you and the struggles you go through.

I'm carrying another child, a child who will be welcomed into a loving home of parents, siblings, and a host of friends. I find myself in a very appreciative state of motherhood every day, even the difficult days, but even more so on Mother's Day. My children are happy and healthy. And I wonder how God could bless me with yet another healthy baby because He has been so good to me, to my family. Whatever this pregnancy brings, I know that being a mother has been the greatest joy I've ever known, that my legacy will live on in my children, whom I thought I'd never have.

To all the mothers, mothers to other children, aunts who are like mothers, mothers to another, have a beautiful Mother's Day. May you find your blessings in the ones who love you so much.

Thank you to my lovelies for the beautiful two dozen roses in my favorite shades of pink. I love you Haley, Brennan, Aubrey, and soon-to-be baby. You make motherhood interesting, crazy, fun, I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out somedays, but most of all, you make me proud to be your mommy and for that, I love each and every one of you. Thank you for making my life rich beyond reason.