Love Me Someday

What happens when you have a beard that's ready to be shaved, a kid taking an extra long nap, and a camera?

Well...this! So proud of my husband and his band Cotton and Coal for finally making a video!

He is 2

And like that, he is 2*

And he is laughing hysterically upstairs in his crib. Alone. In the dark.  I do not see any ghost great grandmas on the monitor, but that doesn't mean that she isn't there telling him ghost knock knock jokes.

He has a great sense of humor, and the kid lives to dance. Kesha (sorry, Caleb), 70s Funk, Black Keys, Elmo. Doesn't matter. Kid likes to move.

And where Harlow is languid and loosey goosey and scattered, he is coiled and kinetic and ACTION incarnate. He sees a ball, and his body trembles in his excitement that IT IS A BALL A BALL BALL BALL BALL!!!!! He is like a little shark, this one. Can't stop moving.

He will spur his father to wall off the upstairs landing as Declan has an unfortunate habit of pulling himself up onto most furniture. He is a foot away from clearing the landing - and the two story fall. He climbs on top of tables. In his sock feet. I wonder what will see more of in his future: soccer fields, or the ER.

It has been a rocky journey, this making it to 2. I know he is thanking the powers that be for his handful of words, his ability to point at his diaper and have it changed, to say "juice!" and for me to know that he wants milk, that he no longer has to bang his head on the floor and scream because parents just don't understand. He loves his Warwoah who gives him unsolicited back rubs, and continues to do so when he grunts and hits the ground, her signal to never stop scratching his back. A special thanks also goes out to Murphy the dog who now endures near daily Declan rides. He loves his puppy. Declan tolerates his tiny master.

A friend today who sees Declan on a weekly basis called him simply awesome. And that's not just because of the natural born faux hawk. I'm inclined to agree.

*I apologize now, little man, that you are Second Kid. Harlow had a Bollywood Birthday party when she turned 2. You got a cookie cake from Kroger and we took you out for Mexican. But you ate the heck out of some tortilla chips. 

Mother's Day Mini Photo Shoot!

Yo mama so awesome that it's a month out from Mother's Day and you're already thinking about all the ways you can sing her praises, yes?

No?

Or are you that mom of legend, the one who is thought to exist except there is no photographic evidence of you to the contrary? Put down that camera and take center stage!

Who needs flowers when you could give mom
 a photo session to document her awesomeness for all time? Raise the bar, think outside the box, and show yo mama just how much you care!


THE DETAILS:

Saturday May 11 from 9 AM - 6 PM by appointment only

- a 30 minute studio photo session by Melissa Sweazy Photography
(1581 Overton Park 2nd floor above Diane's Gifts)
- a password protected online gallery of the images from the session
- a custom designed accordion album that will be mailed after the session

Yo Mama session total $195

Contact melissa@melissasweazy.com or call 901-605-5979 to book your session and make yo mama proud!

Pas de deux

One of the more fascinating things about shooting boudoir photography is that, obviously, every woman is going to have her own approach to what makes her feel sexy, beautiful, and - often times the trickiest - ready to be on camera. So I was thrilled by this lovely client's suggestion that her partner join her as she began the session. He was dashing in his tux; she was stunning in her gown. Their chemistry about short circuited my camera gear. She knew she was beautiful, but when she saw it reflected back in his eyes, she was truly radiant. We captured several beautiful images before it was time to dismiss Mr. Dashing and snap some images that will be sure to set the stage for an epic future date night :)

She is 6

Well, she has been 6 for about 2 weeks now, but in blog years it's like it just happened, right?

The plan was for a party. A greek myth-themed party. This winter she's been involved in an after school enrichment program where she's been studying the epic of Gilgamesh through arts and crafts and theater (at age FIVE, right?) so a Greek myth themed party didn't seem off base. At her suggestion we even made a stop motion movie of the mythological Atalanta arriving in the city via a bean bag and a rocking horse. Clearly I just should have let her plan the party. I had to get all pinterest on her and suggest instead we do an outdoor slumber party instead: guests in their PJs, everyone running around outside and decorating cardboard "cars" for a drive in movie we'd project on the fence.

Adorable. Until it thunder stormed all weekend. So many parents and siblings RSVPed that there was just no way to have the party inside our home. Easter weekend made every church gym and non-museum space unavailable. My stomach twisted in knots, I made her a deal:

cancel the party, and we'd let her have a slumber party for real. With a road trip to St. Louis (to buy daddy a "new" used work truck) to sweeten the pot. From that moment on, the party was dead to her. Not a peep about presents, just, can we watch cable in the hotel? And what restaurant is next?

The St. Louis getaway was lovely. So is she.

March Madness

We start production in three days.

It is spring break. The children are at home and really, really sick of me.

While I'm managing a 1000 little details of pre-production, I am also editing a fashion lookbook.

And planning Harlow's 6th birthday party.

And Caleb's.

And prepping to photograph over 100 daycare students next week.

And an amazing boudoir session.

And I am really, really tired. It might have something to do with the police pounding on our door at 5:30 AM to inform us that an idiot driver plowed right into Caleb's parked truck, demolishing it and flipping themselves upside down. And the driver mercifully walking away from the crash. That is making me tired.

But the rest of it? It's kinda insanity, but I'm surrendering. I have a feeling April is gonna lay me low, but right now? Bring. It. On.

Almost 6 years and 22 months, respectively

She is going to be a detective. Or MacGuyver. Declaring that she wanted to sew and not finding any thread, she made her own by trimming a piece of ribbon, threading the needle, and getting to work.

He is going to be a bouncer. Or a human gorilla. He is a most fearsome hugger and lover, when not trying to destroy our house from the inside out. Nothing is safe. Especially that mullet that is meeting a pair of scissors very soon.