Mother’s Day GIVEAWAY | austin photographer

This is my first Mother’s Day. I had twin girls in September and while life has been crazy 🙂 I wouldn’t trade it for the world!! So for an early Mother’s Day, both my girls started saying MaMa this week!!!!! Daddy tried hard but MaMa won!! 🙂 Hopefully they’ll say Daddy soon because he’s dying to hear it… maybe by Fathers Day…

This Mother’s Day will be the first I’ve spent with my mama since she moved to Arizona 9 years ago. I can’t wait!!! A long weekend with mom, grandma, great-aunt is just what I need!

I have a five year old son, Liam, and have another son due in the next few weeks, Gage. My son is so excited about his new brother that he has taken my prior diaper bag as his own! He says he will need his own bag full of tools. He has packed it with one diaper, empty bottles, a blanket, lots of rattles, his favorite stuffed animal, and cologne (because the baby might be stinky) so that he can be ready to take care of Gage when we are in the car or out running orrands (also known as errands). Because I don’t want to loose my helper, I am hoping to win this bag so we can each have one.

I don’t know how I came across your blog – but it was about a year ago. And since – I find myself visiting your blog daily. I love your photos and stories – you are truly inspirational. So let’s see…what I love about my kiddos – where do I start? With Ryland – it’s the funny things he says, it’s his outlook on life – he lives in the moment, it’s his kind heart and compassion for his sister – he’s an awesome big brother, it’s his goofy front teeth – that are so crooked and make me smile everytime I see his big grin. With Kyla – it’s her contagious smile – I have never seen a baby smile as much as her, it’s her curiosity and eagerness to want to keep up with her big brother, it’s her spunky personality, it’s her baby smell and the way she looks up at me when we cuddle before bed.

My Mom was my best friend, and is greatly missed. I grew up with 4 brothers, so my Mom became my friend and sister, as well as a Mom. We would get together and often end up laughing so much we couldn’t breathe. She had an amazing outlook on life and was a joy to be around. Unfortunately she has since passed on, which makes Mom’s day a very bittersweet day for me. So for all those who still have their Mom, be sure to give her the biggest hug ever on Mother’s Day, and every day! 🙂

That is gorgeous Lyndsay!

Ok, now what to write…is it horrible that it will be similar to Rebeccas? This is the first mother’s day I will be spending with my mother in many years. We are headed to arizona the day before mother’s day and I”m so excited to finally get to join my other sisters who live locally and do something for mom on the big day. I’m usually the one person in my family who is left out!

I also learned yesterday that a few small sequins can get you a lot of play when you have a 2 and 4yo in the house. Probably not the most interesting comment you will get, but I always feel like a great mom when I help them ‘discover’ something like sequins and it holds their attention long enough for me to get something done around the house.

I love that bag – it’s gorgeous! Anyways, this is my first Mother’s Day and I’m really excited about it…And now a little story of life with Will. He just had his first big blowout yesterday. We’re talking poop up the back and in the hair (how that was managed, I have no clue). I’m scrubbing him in the sink and he’s screaming and I’m not thinking how awful and disgusting it is, but I’m actually enjoying it and laughing at all his little cries and faces. I guess that’s how you know you’re a mom 😉

What might be the funniest comment yet from my 3 year old. I was nursing our other daughter and our 3 year old wanted some milk. My husband was watching the hockey game and she asked him twice for milk. Finally, sulking, he gets up and goes okay, okay, I’ll get you milk. My 3 year old goes “Daddy, stop your whining” Bwaaaahhh!!!!!

Hi Lyndsay! Not sure how I found your blog, but have been drooling ever since 🙂

I have a 15 month old daughter, Charlotte. This will be my 2nd Mother’s Day as a mom. I’m blown away by Charlotte on an daily basis. She is always doing something new that makes me realize she is getting big – it’s the little things. Just this weekend I gave her some Cheerios in a cup, rather than just putting some on her high chair tray. She walked all around the house eating her Cheerios. For some reason, this was a milestone for me – she looked like such a big girl holding her pink cup of Cheerios eating them one by one. (Of course the dog loved this as well! Because, inevitably, most ended up on the floor) I captured it here: http://davispartyof3.blogspot.com/2009/05/big-girl-with-pink-cup.html

Hmmmmmmmmmm mom stories….LOL….I don’t know that I can think of any GREAT ones off the top of my head, but I can tell you that the best AND the worst part of being a mom is finding out that the things you find the most endearing and the most annoying are the things that are the most like yourself. LOL….every time the 12 year old comes back with a smart comment…or rolls her eyes….I’m reminded that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. 🙂

BTW…great taste in bags!! 🙂

I starting cracking up the other day when my 13 year old brother told me that he knew why they get the dreaded early bedtime. I said, “Because you did something bad.” And he said, “No! Mom and Dad want some alone time,” as he did the little double eyebrow lift. They grow up so fast, and sending the kids to bed early for some alone time isn’t such a bad idea.

How fun! Last night at dinner I told my husband I could REALLY use a night off. My oldest daughter (6) turned to me and said “not so quick…that’s what Mother’s Day is for!” Lucky me I got a night off anyways though 😉 Love coming to your blog and checking in on all the fun!

Jenn

You are always an inspiration to me. Miss “seeing” you around but catch up with you on your blog and facebook.

My two favorite things about Hannah right now is her growing imagination (we have a family of bears – “nice, silly bears” – that visit us daily and daddy bear likes to hide behind our couch)and some of her words (she calls her hood a “headcoat” and seriously everytime she says it I crack up on the inside).

I love Leah’s naughty smile which we see a lot…I wonder when I will stop thinking it is so cute.

A purse that doesn’t HAVE to double as a diaper bag? SIGN ME UP! And tell you something? And make it interesting?

I haven’t done laundry in almost a week and today I made my three year old wear dirty underwear inside-out.

Don’t worry, there’s a load in now! 🙂

my child woke up last night worried that there were bears in the house.. we live in the middle of the city~!

oooh, what a gorgeous bag! you go girl!! 🙂 I’m loving all of the little things Hannah says and does these days. The other day she wanted to try on her bathing suit and a few minutes later I found her in the foyer with all of her princesses having a “pool party”. She was instructing them on how to kick and how to get out of the pool. Silly, silly girl! I love her to pieces. 🙂

I let my 2 year old daughter have at it with my make up this weekend. She loved drawing all over my face with the eyeliner..it was so fun, I wish I had my husband take a picture of it.

So, I’ve been going back and forth about what little stories I could tell you about my kids and my Mom. Do I tell you a seperate story for each child? One that includes everyone? Just focus on my Mom?

Well, my boys are kind of young yet, so really not saying too much-though they are fun, fun, FUN. And super funny. But my daughter, my sweet baby girl thinks I’m a rockstar. Poor thing has no idea that I can’t carry a tune, but it doesn’t matter to her. To her, I am a rockstar. Cool. In fashion. A great dancer, and just awesome. I guess that’s the way I always saw my Mom. A rockstar of sorts. She was always available, always had a million & one things going on (which she finished flawlessly)-but my sisters and I were always the most important thing. I guess in that sense I hope I am a rockstar in my children’s eyes. No, I will never sell out concerthalls…really, I don’t even think I could get my family to come hear me sing unless I were passing out earplugs. But I hope my children will always know that I’m their # 1 fan. That if I am a rockstar it’s only because of them.

When I found out I was pregnant I had all these ideas of how my birth experience would go, complete with massages from my hubby, soft music, hard candy, breathing techniques, cool wash clothes on my forehead, you get the idea. When the day finally came we made it to the hospital JUST in time for my water to break on it’s own, and Carys was born TWENTY minutes later!!! Such a whirlwind, I don’t remember much, but I laugh thinking back on all these grand birthing ideas I had but instead she decided to appear faster than the speed of light:)

Ok – we call our new 7 month old daughter “toot fish” ALL the time. I’m so afraid it’s going to stick till she’s in college. We call her this, because when she was a precious little newborn and would stretch real hard after waking up and make the cutest little fish face with her lips, inevitably a toot would always follow. I so wish I had it on video 🙁 I adore my little “toot fish” and can’t wait to celebrate my FIRST Mother’s Day!!

Happy Mother’s day! I think a mom who knows how to treat herself well has figured out a great secret about being a good mom; so kudos for buying yourself a gift :).

So I would have to say my absolute favorite thing about being a Mom is those “kids say the darnedest things” moments. One of my favorite one of these moments was when my now 17 year old was 3. (Let me preface this story by telling you back then there was a commercial for a certain feminine hygiene product that had an advertisement on TV with a cartoon woman dancing with flowers). Anyway, my son and I were walking down the feminine hygiene(and such) aisle at Walgreens when my son points to said certain product and yells at the top of his lungs, “Mom, that will make you feel fresh and flowers will grow out of you too!”. He was so loud you that “several” people in the store who heard his exclamation broke in to hysterical laughter simultaneously. You gotta love it! I can’t wait to see what my soon to be 2 year old comes up with as he starts to figure out the world. LOL

What a fun thing to do! I looove your blog- and admit, yes I am a fellow STALKER! Love your work, and find it super inspiring. I can think of too many mommy moments, kids really spice things up! My most favorite thing about being a mom right now is watching my two kids relationship grow into sweet friendship. The other day, my 4 yr old ran to me and said (about my 2 yr old), “Mom, Avery really likes me, I think she is obsessed with me!” Oh there’s nothing like being a mommy… NOTHING!!

What a fun giveaway!

The story is about my daughter and my mom… and is pretty gross so warning! 🙂

I had a photoshoot one weekend while the hubby had to work so my mom was watching Allison. The day happened to fall on a Sunday so my mom decided to take Allie with her to church… she didnt want to go to the nursery so my mom just took her to the surface. Allie was sitting on my moms lap and she smelled something funky… like, poopy. (A little tidbit… Allie had just started pooping in the potty but still had accidents here and there). Well, you guessed it. Allie had pooped her pants… in the middle of the church service. On my moms lap. It gets worse… when my mom realized, she stood Allie on the floor and looked at her pants… her WHITE pants had a huge brown stain on them. Then, a terd fell onto the floor from Allies undies… and the worst part was, it stunk AWFUL. My mom said she was mortified… she grabbed Allie, covered her stain on her pants with Allie and ran out of the sanctuary. She said the whole sanctuary stunk! My stepdad stayed back and cleaned up the mess on the floor and then headed for the doors too. My mom called me right after that telling me the whole story… and telling me she wasnt sure if she could ever go back to church again!!
Allie still to this day tells me every Sunday we go to church “Dont worry Mommy… I wont poop in my pants in church. Cuz thats bad and yucky.” hahahaha… thank you for sparing ME allie! But my poor mom! 🙂

Well I have a funny one and I hope you laugh! I know I did and still am.

So, my 4 year old is in preschool and end of year testing is going on. The teacher asks Drew to draw a picture of her. So he makes a head, then a round body (LOL) then the arms, legs, eyes and 2 circles inside the body…(you know where I am going with this don’t you) SO, she says, “Drew what is this”…He says very seriously “your Hips” LOL Ok so if you knew that he called my breast hips you would have been dying there in the classroom along with me. She said “my hips?” He said “yes, these” (as he pats her chest) “your hips Miss Kristy” OMG I could have ran out of there and never come back..she said all the teachers and the director were in tears laughing about this for days…OMG My boy already is already a pervert. Sadly I don’t even know how to correct him to tell them what “My Hips” really are…LOL

He gets in the car and I asked him very nonchalantly “so, you drew a picture of your teacher today?” He said “yes, and she has HIPS just like you mommy”…OMG

Happy Mothers DAY!!!! Love your Blog!

Hi, I am in awe of your work! One thing that I love about my daughter (she’s 2.5) is that she is really into being a dog right now. Out of the blue she will say arf, arf, and pant and crawl around on the floor. But she doesn’t lick anything yet like Taryn, thank goodness.

It’s my last first mother’s day. Before little lucy arrived, I said I would have been happy to have three boys. I retract that statement.

Happy Mothers Day to you, Lyndsay!

that’s gorgeous!!! i gotta check her out

Hi Lyndsay! We miss your georgeous pics around Louisiana. If you are doing any summer mini-sessions in Slidell this year – I want in! i just quit one of my 2 jobs to have more time at home with my kiddos (and hubby too!) Gotta love motherhood, it is the BEST!

Kristen Rapp
Covington, LA

Lyndsay, I’m a dedicated blog stalker – I love your site. Your pictures/family make me smile and it brightens up my day.

Mother’s Day used to be the hardest day in the year for me. I’ve suffered through 5 painful miscarriages and waited several long years before we were able to have our little girl drop from Heaven. I still can’t believe her birth mother’s loving sacrifice for her daughter to give her a better life and allow us to finally realize our dreams to be parents. My first Mother’s Day was last year and for it I got my camera I was drooling over – sure has taken the sting off what used to be the most difficult day of the year!

Beautiful purse! I followed your initial photo journey through the nest and am so happy to see how successful you’ve become! Anyway, I have 2 kids, a girl who is 3 1/2 years and a baby boy who is 7 1/2 months. I can honestly say that I really thought I never wanted a boy…they intimidated me. But, after having this little boy, OMG, I must’ve been nuts. I love the way he cuddles and snuggles his blankie. I love watching him be a little boy. And, in contrast, my little girl is such a girly girl. Constant dress up, constantly trying to be just like me. I love being in the other room and just listening to the 2 of them interact. Their laughs are infectious.

Love the bag!! This will be short and sweet..last week ryland decided to tell the entire congregation at church that HE POOPED!! This, of course, was right during the pastors message, so everyone was nice and quiet, except for ryland’s excitement!!! Happy Mothers Day!! 🙂

This was a little hard for me. I lost my mom to cancer 6 years ago. I have tons of fun and quirky stories about my kids that would make you smile but there is one that ties my mom in so here it goes.

My youngest son was born after my mom passed away. It is very important that he knows who she is and that she is still a part of our lives. One day while looking at her picture he asked me why did Nonna have so many spots. I told him those were freckles. He looked at his own skin and found a freckle and asked how he got it. It took me less than a second to give him an answer. I told him those were freckles and he gets one every time Nonna gives him a kiss. So now every time he notices a new freckle (and even ones I think he “rediscovers” just to say it) he runs up to me excitedly shouting “Momma Momma…LOOK Nonna kissed me!”. It makes me smile ear to ear every time I hear it.

Thanks Lyndsay for doing this. I think my smile will last all day now. 🙂

i love your work! i have you bookmarked as my “fave photographer”.
my favorite thing about being a mama recently is when avy (my daughter) says- “pwetty mommy”. makes me feel good- even when i’m lounging in my ugly yoga pants.
happy mothers day to you!

My home is cHaOs with kids running full BLAST form 6am till 8 pm. What was I thinking having three kids all under 5 years old. But when they are gone it is too quiet and I wander around missing them.

Wow, you must have a lot of secret readers, I have been one for a long time. Only commenting once in awhile. It’s 1:30 and 65 comments.

Have a lovely Mother’s Day Weekend

Wow, Lyndsay, have a giveaway, and people really start commenting 😉 I always knew you had lots of readers. Okay, something about me….hmmm.
Okay, this is my first mommas day and I’m uber excited about it. Actually it brings tears to my eyes because I never ever thought I could love anyone as much as I love my lil girl. She has quite the personality and loves to smile. She’ll be 6 months this week and my favorite part of the day is changing her diaper. Because she just lays there and talks to me and I kiss her and she just laughs and laughs. To me its a refresher during my crazy day =) Thanks for the giveaway Lynds, even if I don’t win – I’ll still read and COMMENT! Blessings =)

Hey, I have been following your blog for quite some time now. I love the way you speak honestly about your life and your family. I have a girl much like Super T so I always get a kick out of your stories. My something to tell is that the other day my son and I were driving to his baseball pictures and he wanted a sucker. I told him not right then and he looked at me, very seriously, and said “Mom, did you know that your body NEEDS some candy every day?”. I said “I did not know that. Who told you that?”. He says “I learned it on the bus. See I need the sucker, it’s for my health.” Some days I can’t win….. 🙂

I’m a single mom (I know you were, too) and would love to receive a Mother’s Day Gift! I adore your blog. In addition to the obvious (images, family funnies, cute kids) I love the creative home-decorating ideas I get from you. Also…I think this may be my first comment!

As the mother of 11 children life can be pretty busy. My littlest man (age 4) still makes me slow down. Who can resist those big black eyes and his sweet voice when he says “snuggle wiff me mama, jus for two min pwease, cause you is my best mama ever.” Yep, it works every time”

What a gorgeous giveaway! I am inspired daily by your incredible images and postive attitude. Right now I am giggling at my three year old, who just asked me what animal potatoes come from. Yes, we just had the animals = meat talk!

Hi Lyndsay,
This is my first mothers day being a mama of 3!! I still shock myself when I say I have 3 children:) My littlest girl just turned 1 in April. I think one of the BEST things about being a mom for me anyway. Is being woken up at around 3am to a fussing 1 year old full of poop (head to toe” tmi sorry:) Having her look up at you poop faced and all and smile and nothing matters, not the poop on the rug,crib,blankets,walls her HAIR lol. Not the fact that you have to be up in 3 hours to get your other children up for school. Or the fact that you know after you bath her she will be awake, nice and clean and ready to party. I have been through this now with all 3 of my children. Each child more a mess then the last. I wouldn’t change a thing. I love being a mom its the greatest job ever:)

What a cute bag! I have a funny story to share. My 20 month daughter loves animals and making animal sounds. While shopping at Costco last week, she decided it would be funny to pretend to be a pig. We ended up walking down the aisle with my daughter oinking like a pig and crawling on the floor.

I love Mother’s Day! Mainly b/c I am a momma to two sweet girls that I adore and I have the most amazing momma, myself! She is responsible for the person that I am today and for my strong faith in God. I pray that I can be the kind of mother that she has been to me! P.S.-I do love your blog-read it all the time for the great images and funny stories!

alright-I’ll come out from lurking:) (fellow nestie from a while back btw) The thing that makes my heart melt is coming home from a long night at work and having a little 31″ man come running up to me, arms stretched wide, then throw his arms around my neck, rest his little head on my shoulder and pat me on the back! It’s the best feeling in the world to know that I am appreciated and loved by my 15 month old little guy.

LOVE your blog!

Hmmm lets see. Today my 2 1/2 year old twins were going potty, and after they were both successful, they decided to do their secret handshake. It was hilarious to see them on their little potties, giving each other high fives and fist bumps! I wish I could have grabbed a picture. I love the little things in life like this. It makes me so happy to be a mommy.

Well I’ve been reading your blog for a while and absolutely love it. I can only dream of taking pictures at the level you do but I continue trying. My two little boys give me a run for my money in every area of life but especially when it comes to getting them in a photo. Anyways…here is a quick and funny little story from last night. We were at Nordstroms picking out some shoes for my youngest son, Tate who is 2. His feet grow so quickly. While we were getting his feet measured my older son, Blake, was trying to decide which shoes Tate would like best, or was it which shoes he liked but knew he couldn’t get. 🙂 Blake, who is 4, chose some bright red, and I mean bright, not to mention expensive, they were $64! So Tate tries them on, runs around and Blake looks at the sales lady and says “I think we’ve made our decision, we’ll take the red ones.” What would we do without kids? The really do keep life interesting!

Hmm…interesting or enteraining about my mom? I can’t give her my work numbers anymore because even if I tell her it is an emergency only number she’ll still call me in the middle of the day to see what color thong I want or what size flip flops I need because of a sale she has found at Dillard’s or some random store.

It took me a long time to become a mommy, but now that I am, I couldn’t be happier. My youngest child is 6 months old and she is the most affectionate little person ever! My favorite part of the day is when I pick her up and she wraps those chubby little arms around my neck and plants a wet, open mouth kiss on my cheek. LOVE it!

I am LOVING all your comments and stories, I have been smiling alllllll day! Keep em coming!

Lyndsay- I’ve been a stalker of your blog for years. I love your photos! I don’t have any kids unlss you would count my furry ones. However, my mama is one crazy lady. It’s hard for me to pick just one thing to share. I don’t know if you remember the TV show Dinosaurs- my mom and I use to watch it together, which was special in its own right b/c she talks during shows which drives me nuts. =) The catch phrase of the baby dinosaur was “Not the Mama” and it became a joke between my mom, stepdad and I. My mom rarely answers the phone, so everytime I call I say “Not the Mama” to my stepdad, Moose, who calls to my mom “your favorite daughter is on the phone” (I’m an only child), then my mom gets on the phone and I say “THE MAMA!” It has been good for a laugh for many years. A few years back we began planning a trip together for Mother’s Day since I don’t get to spend a lot of 1:1 time with her now that she lives half the year in Florida, but lately I haven’t been able to take the time off work, so this year we’ll be enjoying lunch, pedicures & manicures together. I can’t wait to have her all to myself again, like it was when I was little!

Well, now that I’m a momma… this is going to be an amazing year! The funniest thing I can think of right now is to recall Ava eatting applesauce for the first time last night. After every couple bites, she would scrunch up her face, close her eyes, pull her shoulders up to her ears and just shake her head like it was the tartest thing you’ve ever eaten (granted this is the first thing besides BM and rice cereal). Anyway, I’ll have to share the video once I get it uploaded… too funny and cute!!

One of my mom’s favorite comments that I have taken to heart is “I am a party wherever I go.” She didn’t depend on anyone else’s opinion of her, nor did she depend on anyone else to entertain her. I’m still working on not worrying about anyone else’s opinion, but I can dangsure entertain myself – and most anyone around me – wherever I’m at.

I so wish you lived to me and I’d hire you in an instant to photograph my babies! Love your blog, love your photos, and I really love that bag.

Hi…I also have been following you since your Knot days. You had a destination wedding and so did I, only mine was in Key West. Fun is an understatement!
Here is my Mommy moment…my daughter was born almost 2 years ago, 2 months premature and she is everything to me! My favorite is when she gives me hugs and “pats” me as she does it…I can’t get enough!! Happy Mother’s Day!

i’m a huge music fan and it just warms my heart when i hear my 2 and 6 year old singing a song that i’ve had playing. for example my 6 year old singing “ob la di, ob la da, life goes on oh, la di da life goes on” and my 2 year old singing “stir it up, little darlin stir it up” when mixing something in a bowl.
happy mother’s day.

Today in the shoe dept at Nordstroms, Sophia kept running to all the shoe mirrors, putting her hands up under her chin and saying “I’m pretty, I’m sooo pretty!” Ugh so much for trying to tell her she’s smart, we have a narcissist on our hands 😉

The little boy I watch is 2 1/2 and he is AWESOME. Today he spent about 40 minutes putting animal stickers on paper and naming the animals as he went, including “Pecker! Pecker!” for a woodpecker. He’s so stinking smart!

Happy Mother’s Day!

The thing I love most about my kids is how they always want to be a part of whatever I’m doing. My girls regularly assist me on photo shoots and the boys often sit and watch the editing. My job is truly a family affair.

I love your blog, and your photography. You’re truly an inspiration to me! My daughter just turned one today, it was bittersweet really. She started walking yesterday, and gets a kick out of it every time she gets up to go somewhere. Once she gets to where shes going, you can hear her say “I did it!”, its so cute! She also loves people, if we go to the store and someone stops us to tell her how pretty she is she turns her head like shes bashful and has the biggest smile on her face. And I have never seen a kid like to dance as much as she does. I have tons of videos of her at 3-4 months old trying to dance. Goodness, I can go on and on haha.

This is very nice of you to do this giveaway! I love the bag.

My Mom was thirty when she had me and tomorrow is my 30th B-day (eeeek!!), so this year I am exactly half of my Mom’s age. We went shopping this past weekend and I woman commented how much I look like my Mom and it made me feel so good because I think my Mom is the most beautiful woman in the world. Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

I love that my mom taught me to be a good mom so I could enjoy the best gift life has to offer… joy in motherhood.

Last year, my first Mother’s Day, 1 month after my beautiful daughter was born happened to also be on my birthday. I’ll never forget it – what a special special birthday!

I love that my mom and I are closer now than ever. Growing up, I never thought my mom and I would be friends, let alone good friends & kindred spirits. I can confide in my mom with my worries and dreams and she can tell me her worries and dreams too. It is so refreshing and a total turnaround from the years when I was a kid and thinking “I never want to be like my mom when I grow up!” LOL Now I realize being like my mom when I grow up is the best thing I could be and I’m lucky if I’m half as awesome as my mom is. She is so giving, so caring, so creative and an all around wonderful woman. Plus, she’s the woman who managed to preserve my crowning glory (aka my hair) when I was in high school and managed to get my hair caught in the mixer one Christmas Eve when I was making chocolate chip cookies. You don’t want to know how that happened but thankfully, I can laugh about it now. Back then, I couldn’t laugh as I came very close to having to have a chunk of my hair cut off close to my scalp. 🙁 To this day, I still find hair wrapped around the mixer attachment so I will never forget that experience and my mom’s quick thinking!

Ok…let’s see. My son (Seth age 3) loves to eat boogers. He loves them so much he doesn’t care whose nose they came from……he ate one of his sister’s (Sophie age 18 months) boogers last week. Thanks for the contest and have a great week! I love your work…it’s amazing!

First – I’m such a big fan, but have never commented before. Free stuff is such a motivator! I have three kids; 6, 4 and 2. They are CRAZY, but oh so fun. We just had my baby’s 2nd birthday and it was Wiggles themed. It turned out very cute, with many Wiggle themed food, decor and activities, but the best one was the Henry the Octopus Hot Dogs. You take a hot dog and make a slice half way down the hot dog, the long way. Then roll the dog 1/4 turn and slice again. You should have 1/2 the dog looking normal and the bottom half with 4 long hot dog pieces. Put all your octopuses on a tray and bake in the oven (until cooked – 10 min?) The legs will start spreading out and curling a little, and even though there are only 4 legs not 8, it totally looks like an octopus. They were a huge hit and even adults were eating them. Give it a try! (if none of that made sense, and your still curious as to what I’m talking about – feel free to email me) Thanks – Julie:)

let’s see…i’m 29, i have two boys (3 and 1) and live in san francisco. i love your blog and your pictures are absolutely amazing!!

Darn.. ok.. I can remove my earlier post..SORRY… but I posted too fast and didn’t put my story… I continue to call my son Gummy since the first day I met him when he was just a blob on my belly at 9wks pregnant.. he looked like a Gummi bear.. hence the nickname… When we brought him home from the hospital, my younger stepdaughter when we told her his name was going to be Rodrigo, asked if she could continue calling him Gummy because it suit him better.

How did I miss this yesterday – oh, yea…I had to go possum chasing under in the crawl space under our house (again!) to be able to get the repair man to re-connect the wiring from our heat-pump to our thermostat (2nd time in less than a month). Obviously a job for M.O.M. This is a lovely giveaway and if I am too late to be entered, bummer, but that is okay. Moms are selfless like that 🙂
M.O.M. It is my favorite role, the job I always dreamed of, the one there were no college classes for, and yet the one for which I felt the most prepared. This is not to say I don’t have loads of ‘Monday morning quarterback’, ‘what was I thinking’ events in raising my children – I do. I once asked my mother if she loved each of us kids the same. I pointed out that she always defended my older brother no matter what he did; she was always over protecting my sister, and frankly, she loved my younger brother (the b.a.b.y.) the most! She laughed and told me that one day when I had kids, I would understand that a mother’s love molds to the child. That she loved each of us for our individual strengths and weaknesses, consequently it took different presentations; but the most important thing was that it was absolute. When I set my eyes on my baby girl – it was infatuation. When my bouncing baby boy was born – I got IT! My children are so much alike, yet very very different; consequently my expression of love for them complements their individual needs. It is absolute and undeniable. This will be my first year without my mom, so I am a bit apprehensive about this weekend. The first time ever. But it’ll be a Happy Mother’s Day – hugs and kisses from my children make every situation better.
Lyndsay – Happy Mother’s Day!

I love your blog, it refreshes me after those crazy days with my daughter! Your sassiness and outlook on parenting is so fun! I am a soon to be mom of 2. A mom to Cinderella (haha) and a baby due in September. Thanks for keeping us update to date on your little corner of the world 🙂

I’ve been a lurker for a bit now 🙂 First off, like everyone else, I love your work and I love this bag you are giving away 🙂 My son is nearly 3 years old and is the light of my life. He is funny, loving, sensitive and I love him to pieces! Hope you have a wonderful mothers day and all the other moms out there.

My 1st Mother’s Day was 2 years ago, and I received the BEST gift from my 7 month old… she slept through the night for the 1st time!!! It was glorious! Now I also have a 1 month old and I’m wondering if he’ll follow in his sister’s footsteps and give mama the same gift!!! 🙂 Wishful thinking…

Hey Lyndsay! What I love about being a first time newbie mom is everything. I never knew what I was missing until I had our little Riley in Oct ’08. I now know what true love is. I can just stare at her all day. She makes my glummest day all better with just her toothless grin. 🙂

I have a daughter who was born on Cinco De Mayo, yesterday of last year, so she just turned a year old. She is my heart and my soul. So this is my second Mother’s Day. 🙂 She has such a personality and lately has done some really funny things. The one thing that really cracks me up is her choice of favorite toys. I used to be a teacher so I have a lot of fake, plastic food in her playroom. She decided that a fake piece of celery was going to be her “lovie” and she carries it everywhere, all over the house, out to the grocery store, everywhere! People always ask, “WHAT is that?!” When I tell them, they always laugh. Oh my sweet girl! We got her a grocery cart to push around for her birthday and what do you think she liked best about it? The fake, plastic food in it of course, so now the corn is her toy of choice!! 😉

My son was born 4 years ago, right before Mother’s Day, and as a gift, my husband bought me a beautiful necklace. When he gave it to me, I couldn’t figure out what the occasion was…I hadn’t yet realized that I would forever after being celebrating Mother’s Day as a Mom, not a daughter!

My daughter, Emma, has definitely turned our lives upside down. And while this is not my first mother’s day, it still feels just as special. Emma has officially started walking & with that, talking quite a bit more. She melts my heart when I hear ‘MOMOMOMOM’ & see two small hands reaching up, giving me the ‘come here’ motion. She adores our dog, Slinky, & tries to say his name which is a sight!! Everyday, she amazes me more & more.

Something funny – Emma loves to fuss at her Daddy. The other day, she was pushing her way between him & the counter (a new favorite for her). Since he was cooking, he moved her to the middle of the floor. Did she cry? No. Did she scream? No. Instead, she sat there, paci in mouth, & did a lot of ‘baby cursing.’ She was sooo mad & was letting him know about it. Charlie turned to me & said, ‘Right now, I am very glad that I cannot speak baby.’ =)

Happy Mother’s Day!!

There are times when having step children isn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but I am always greatful for the way they have welcomed me into their lives with open arms.

WEEELLLL,

I could tell you all about how our kids took turns being sick last week, and how the horrible gastro intestinal bug caught up with me on Monday night and I spent 36 hours in bed (and in the bathroom) and am just now slowly getting back to life…

OR, I could tell you about how our kids so sweetly helped me out while I was sick, getting themselves ready for school and making their own lunches and taking care of our little one for me…oh, and my husband was pretty great too…

BUT, I am getting a new garage door installed today and have been waiting and waiting for them to arrive so I can’t go on and on letting you get to know me. You know, the door people gave me the old, “we’ll be there sometime on Wednesday” routine. I hear the beeping of a truck backing up so I think they are FINALLY here so I really do have to go!

PS I think our oldest sons are very much alike. It freaks me out sometimes when I read your blog.

Cool contest rules!

I love this bag!
Just last week I found a floating poop in the tub while taking a bubble bath with my one year old!
A much needed vacation is in store for me……so I will be leaving on Saturday along with my Momma and the rest of my family on vacation to Florida! I am so looking forward to sipping Margarita’s with my Mom and sisters poolside and watching my sons and nephews swim(of course with their father’s sober supervision :P!)this Mother’s Day.

I am pregnant with #3 (a girl due in July) and have 2 boys (ages 2 and 4). My four year old was running around like Dash from the Incredibles the other day when he almost ran right into me. I told him to be a little more careful running in the house like that because he could hurt someone or himself. His reply: “you’re SOOOO right mom, I could have knocked that baby right out of you!” Both boys are very excited for their little sister and ask daily about getting to feed her and change her, etc….hopefully they live up to some of their promises!

My little guy is 17 months, and he loves to eat dog food. It grosses me out. He can be completely full from dinner, and he still gets down and walks over to the dog bowl and starts picking up pieces to eat. And now, I think he’s trying to eat like the dog, because he’ll take a handful of Cherrios over to a chair, put them down, and then eat off the chair with his mouth like a dog. Your Taryn dog stories crack me up because I think James is headed down the same path! I don’t know what is worse though, him eating the dog food or Taryn licking everything!

Happy Mother’s Day!

I really wished we lived in Austin (or anywhere close) so that you could take my daughter’s picture. You would LOVE her… big, red curls!!

Beautiful bag!

My daughter is 15 months and is turning into a chatterbox. She’s on the small side so people are often surprised to hear actual words come out of her mouth. The other day we had a special lunch together and were walking around outside of the restaurant through a little courtyard. She was being incredibly cute (as usual) and was telling me there were flowers and showing off her belly. As we turned a corner we saw to older folks walking their two little dogs. Now we have 65lb dog at home so the kiddo is accustomed to dogs being on the larger size. She caught a glimpse of the dogs and charged after them (showing off her belly, of course) shrieking “baby bunnies, baby bunnies” with her squeaky little voice. The couple was very amused. The dogs (bunnies) were very tolerant of her love/affection. It made my day.

You may have already heard this song but I just listened to Taylor Swift’s “The Best Day” for the first time yesterday. It had me in tears! It’s a great song and perfect for Mother’s Day!
I always enjoy reading your blog and love your amazing photos! Thanks for the contest!

Yay! I think it’d be super cute as just a shoulder bag, and I love the color! I think I might need one regardless of the competition… Oh, and of course your photography just rocks! 😉

LOVE your blog – its’ always inspiring to me. We are in the process of adopting our next child. Actually, we went to visit the birth family this past weekend. Our first visit was brunch at a restaurant. Everyone nervous, having never met, us trying to explain to our daughter before we arrived what was going on – she’s three years old by the way. Upon meeting, our daughter went right up to the birth mom, her eyes fixated on her stomach, pointed and then placed her finger on her belly and asked emphatically, “Is that my baby brother in there?!” LOL I guess you could say that it really broke the ice. 😉

I have been a mom now for 1 1/2 years. It has been the best thing to ever happen to me. My little boy kisses me now and tells me “night-night”. There is nothing in this world I love more than him! I really love the purse!!! 🙂

Now, here is my funny thing about being a mom…. I was in the minivan waiting on my husband to pull up to his office. It was a Saturday, the doors were all locked and there was no where to go pee! I had to go sooooo bad!!! No, I didn’t do my kegals while pregnant, and as you can imagine, I can’t hold it every long. So, a bright idea came to mind. I pulled out one of my son’s diapers and peed in it! In the back of my van! I sure felt better. 😉

My sweet Aubrey is now 17 months old and still doesn’t have much to say. However, she loves animals and can tell you the sounds made by dogs, cats, birds and even monkeys. But she has yet to call me or my husband by any sort of name. We know that we’re second in her heart to animals.
Yesterday, she said her first “real” word – guess what it was. Her first real word is “Ella,” the name of our dog. So not fair!! The girl loves animals, I tell ya! Hates plants (cowers away from them, in fact, when you try to get her to smell a flower), but LOVES all animals.

Our 9 month old just learned how to wave goodbye. Problem is, he’s a little bit behind…he only starts waving about 60 seconds after you’ve already left.

My mother loves Yoda. So much so, that she has a Yoda quote for everytime I tell her my problems. “Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.” She even says the “…hmmm, yes?” piece of every Yoda quote. It drives me insane! I just want real advice! Not Yoda advice!

My girls love American Idol. They dance around and sing (with their toy microphones) but ONLY to Adam. No one else…I am wondering if they have picked the winner…

Short and not so sweet…….My 4 year old son told me today that my butt was too big to use the toilet that everyone else uses. What a total blow to the post winter blues! Love the bag by the way – and so kind of you to give one away.

A sweet one for you. Whenever my mom would watch one of her grandkids she would get them to talk to her about anything and everything. As they were talking she would try to write down as much of it as she could. Afterwards she would spin a tale and create wonderful stories starring them. She would then present each child with there own written story book by Mema. It’s a tradition I am going to do with my daughter and any future children and grandchildren I have. :o)

I don’t need this, oh no. But my current bag has pen mark on the inside, and a melted crayon, and smushed up goldfish crackers, and never any wipes (because Clara pulls them out any chance she gets.) Ahhhh motherhood….I never thought I would feel so useless at something one moment, and then so proud the next. It really gets to you.

As frustrating as a 21 month old can be by terrorizing the house, being the destroyer of all things not bolted down by child locks, it was pretty endearing today, when my daughter sauntered down to my office sporting 3 layers of skorts, two shirts, a swimsuit coverup and a wide brimmed hat. While I was working away at returning emails, she was emptying her entire dresser, trying on multiple outfits and leaving a massive pile of discarded clothes in her wake. I snapped away with my camera as she blissfully and single-handedly destroyed her perfectly organized drawer of clothes, while I’m sure wondering to herself, “why is mommy letting me get away with this madness?”

Wow pretty!!! Okay so here goes…..This is my first Mother’s Day! My baby girl will be 9 months old next week and she is the best thing that has happened to my husband and I. We went through YEARS of infertility and we finally got our miracle last year when she came along in Aug. Motherhood has been interesting and i won’t lie it has it’s tough days but i would not trade her for the world. I didn’t know how much you could love someone until she came into our life.

A little story about my mom also. She was the best mother anyone could have! And seeing her with my baby girl just makes my heart do kart wheels!

But something funny to share is a lady on Oprah said not to long ago, when you have kids you should call your parents at least one time a week and thank them for letting you live, LOL!!

Have a Happy Mother’s Day!!!

I am 25 years old and I have seen my mom cry only twice- once when I was a little girl and she hurt her back, and the other, a couple years back at thanksgiving dinner when she said she was thankful that I was surrounded by such positive people in life- my best friend was with us, along with my college boyfriend (now my husband). It was beautiful!

Today is Thursday, which means that the most important mom duty of my day is checking my four-year-old for underwear before preschool. I have a Commando King, and have to physically check his pants, because he will sneak his unders off after I dress him.

First, I love your blog…inspiration is the word I would use!! I am a speech therapist and photographer:) Last week, my 2 year old was asked what she wanted to be when she grows up and her answer was a “working mom”. I love what they come up with!! But I have to say my favorite time is when my 2 girls wake up and we lay in my bed and watch one show..it’s perfect!!

I am a LONGTIME lurker on your blog and have enjoyed following you and your family & your great talent for photography. I’m not a mom but I am an aunt, a job I enjoy immensely. My nephew & neice live just down the road so I see them all the time. My two most recent favorite stories: Story #1: We took my 4 yr old nephew to his first ever movie and he was incredibly taken with it. While talking to his mom about it on the phone afterwards, his comment was, “Yeah, it was pretty cool. And we got to watch it on the biggest TV in the world!”
Story #2: My hubby plays soccer and the kids love to go to Uncle Kyle’s soccer games. Nothing is cuter than watching the kids scream “Go Uncle Kyle!” especially the little 2 yr old, who I call the neicelette. She’s got a big personality and a big voice for someone so petite. People on the field have actually stopped playing because they were distracted by big cheers from such a little girl. 🙂

Anything? Well … one time at a very formal Easter buffet brunch, I asked my stepfather if he brought his third leg with him. I kept eating because, well, I didn’t think I said anything out of the ordinary. It wasn’t until my husband whispered to me, “sweetie…it’s hollow leg,” that I realized my mistake.

Love reading these comments…some are so funny! Mine is simple: My baby turns 1 tomorrow. He loooves to laugh. And to me it’s one of the sweetest sounds in the world (along with his 3 year old sister…well..her laugh and stories = sweet. the tantrums = not so much! 😉

Having a baby later in life is so different. I have an 10 month old, a 16 year old and a 20 year old. I find that I appreciate it everything so much more! Every little laugh, every little smile and even every little poop! I may not have the same amount of energy I had 20 years ago, but having my little one is certainly keeping me young!

I have the worlds shortest short term memory. I’m really bad. Nobody really believes me, but I finally had a test done and apparently it’s bad enough that they couldn’t believe it. They retested me (same test so I should have done better the second time) and I was even worse!

But the worst “forgetful” thing I ever did….I really liked this guy at work…super sweet. I ALSO really liked this other guy at church…quiet but was nice too. About a month later, I realized I liked ONE guy. Same person, different outfits, different places. But it turned out okay…I married him!

I told myself I’d come out of lurking if you hit 200 — wow, that bag caused quite a stir!
I don’t have a story to rival some of these (I’ve been secretly chuckling about one in particular for two days now), but I’ll go ahead and tell you that I’ve got three kiddos: First, boy, 10, sweet as can be, nearly as tall as momma, looks like a little professor in his glasses, unless he is being a total goof-ball comedian, he makes me laugh just because he’s so entertained with himself. Middle, girl, 8, girly-girl, wild woman, alternately dotes on or terrifies her brothers, and oh, the energy! Baby, but hopefully not last, boy, 18 months, I can’t help it that I think he’s adorable even as he’s tap dancing on my kitchen table or rearranging the chairs and books in my living room — funny how a mom’s perspective changes everything! I get a kick seeing/hearing about your three, cause I can totally imagine them all tearing up an afternoon together. Happy Mother’s Day!

This is our first Mother’s day with our brand new baby girl, little r who is 6 months old. I love her mother very much and want to wish her a wonderful and stressfree mothr’s day. LAFE

Kids are the BEST! Lately my boys have been cracking me up. It’s baseball season around here and it’s Bryson’s first year to play. I overheard a conversation between him and Jarom the other day and it just makes me smile… So I hear:
Bryson, “What is this thing”
Jarom: “It’s a cup… you wear it to protect yourself when you play catcher.”
“That’s not very comfortable. I don’t like it. The boys at baseball call it a weenie protector.”
“Oh! Don’t say weenie. You know we aren’t allowed to say that.”
“Okay… soft spot protector.”
“How about tenders?”
“You know what the kids at school call a bum? A split cookie?”
At this point… I completely LOST it… laughing hysterically! Boys are hilarious! Happy Mothers Day to you!