Merry Christmas from our family to yours !!

Merry Ho-ho. Have an amazing Christmas!

Love ya! ~J

PILA Month day 22

Day 22 - a website that has been meaningful since your loss.

www.nowIlaymedowntosleep.org

is a wonderful website devoted to people who have lost their infant or any number of tragedies. There is information on just about everything and a forum for grieving parents to talk to other grieving parents and try to make sense of it all. I met many wonderful people in there who were very helpful and kind and loving while we were on our journey with Jonathan. I don't really frequent it anymore but I highly recommend it to anyone who is faced with the death of an infant or child and is looking for a place to reach out to. If they don't have the answer they can at least point you in a direction.

PILA Month day 17

Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc) that moves you.

Photographs always get me. A mother and child. Children playing. Every time. There is something about photos, the freezing of time, the permanence. I love it.

One of my favorites in not digital because I took it on film and I have not gotten around to scanning my THOUSANDS of negatives... even though I have had a scanner to do so for 4? years! It is of the little girl I used to nanny, Emily, and she is playing her little pool after her afternoon nap. The lighting was perfect and she had just glanced up for a second. I caught a magic glimmer in her eyes that I love, matching the blue in her swimsuit. Always one of my faves.

I will see if I can find it and upload it tonight...

PILA Month day 8

Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad.

I love this photo of me, and yet it is bittersweet. I had this photo taken when I went to the photographers studio to pick up the disk of Jonathan's only and last photos. Weeks after it was promised. I went to get the disk. I had my photo taken because it would have been a wasted trip other wise.

She "forgot" the disk. (actually, she later accidentally slipped that she had never even burned it)

I had this photo taken and a few cute-ish ones of Grayson. I ended up having to PAY to have this photo taken. $25 because it was supposed to be to for charity if you showed up for the event at the studio.

Again to get a forgotten disk was the only reason I was there...

I was supposed to get a 5x7 print for my money. I emailed the photographer numerous times to get my photo after I was told I had to pay because I showed up that night.

DISK?!

I my emails were mostly never returned.

My check was cashed- QUICK.

I finally got a hold of her and told her I wanted a 5x7 of THIS photo, not the ones of G, they were cute but I LOVE this photo. I got TWO in the mail MONTHS later of G, with a note saying how sorry she was for the wait. (18 months?!) and here was two for my trouble...

Of the WRONG photo. I still, 2 years in a few weeks, have not gotten this one. I lifted it from her website when I had the chance because sadly I knew this would happen. I am not going to slander her but I would never use her again. Or recommend her. Sad really, she could be good.

Just horrible customer service and business skills.

I did get the disk, eventually. The day OF my babies memorial after my dear friend who was supposed to have done the photos to begin with (she was shooting a wedding out of state when I planned the induction and I didn't realize until too late) went TWICE to try and coax a disk from the photographer. My friend still had to edit them all and turn them into a slide show for the memorial.

So ya, that photo makes me Angry and Sad. But I'm not bitter...

Jaxon is 6 months!!

I just don't know where the time has gone?! How can my sweet tiny baby be 6 months old? I really don't know but he is. He is so sweet and just so much fun! He loves to play with his toys and his brother. He loves to laugh and it's truly one of the most amazing sounds I have ever heard. I just can't get enough of it.

Jaxon loves to snuggle and will spend hours curled up in my arms and currently no one else will do. He loves to eat both big people food and his "milkies" and has grown to a fabulous 20 lbs 4 oz. and 28.5" tall. His favorite foods are sweet potatoes and cereal but anything on our plates will do and he lets us know when we are not fast enough in our offerings.

He can sit up all by himself, has rolled over from both sides to the other but doesn't really do it very often now that he has mastered sitting since he is rarely laying.

Jaxon is 3 months (but I'm a little late!)

I can't believe he is already 3 (+) months! Time is flying by!!

His stats as of now:
weight Tuesday was 17lbs 6 oz naked- yes I said 17 lbs! I apparently make cream.
length last week: 27 inches- 5 inches longer than birth, which means I have 2 inches until he outgrows his car seat.
sigh.

Loves:
milk
his brother
peek a boo
milk
laughing
snuggling
his soft minky blankie against his skin while he sleeps
milk
sink baths
his swing

Dislikes:
when people yell, he is sensitive like that
being cold
being kept from a nap

Zober Images

Our friend Elle needed some help getting her lighting right on Friday so she had us come over for a test shoot.

Elle is a professional photographer and is amazing! She started her career as a photojournalist in London, moving on to Editor in chief of Scotland's only music magazine. Photographing Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavinge, Oasis, Green Day, Blink 182 and Foo Fighters along the way. She has photographed for and been recognized in Rolling Stone, NME, Q and MOJO.

Today she graces Portland as one of its premere photographers and does weddings, families and children with ease and talent.