Mommy Spotlight: Ingrid

I am so excited for y’all to meet Ingrid! You might remember seeing her twins' cake smash (with a few appearances from big sister). I came across her blog after doing their session and I was blown away. You see, Ingrid and her husband's path to their sweet children wasn't an easy one. Moreover, she is so open and honest about the trials and tribulations of their journey to show other couples they are not alone. I asked her if she would share a little of her story and she graciously accepted!

What is your biggest accomplishment as a mom?

My biggest accomplishment as a mom has been the blood, sweat, and tears it took to complete our family.  I had no idea what it would take and the perseverance I had inside of me.  Our first baby, Anna, came miraculously after 10 months of tests trying to figure out the extreme pelvic pain I was experiencing for years.  One week before my scheduled laparscopic surgery I found out I was pregnant with our daughter.  After my C-section with her I apparently had an unknown infection that lead to the development of pelvic adhesions and scar tissue.  I didn’t know about them until two years later when I had my first laparoscopic surgery to remove some large cysts.  Once the doctor began the operation she quickly saw my tubes were completely damaged by scar tissue and my ovaries were completely covered in scar tissue that couldn’t be removed because we wanted more kids and it could’ve damaged the ovaries forever.  So I awoke to the news that IVF would probably be our only option to have more kids.  As soon as I heard this I had a faith in my heart to give IVF our best shot to expand our family.  I knew if we didn’t try I would regret it forever.  A few months later we began a 7 month rollercoaster to get our twin boys which included one failed round and an ectopic pregnancy.  During that time we cried a lot but we also grew closer as a family and I wouldn’t change a thing.  I had no idea I had the strength in me to endure 3 rounds of hormone shots, procedures, and the hardest thing of all, waiting for the results.  But I remember the first time I saw two little sacs on the ultrasound screen and the relief we felt knowing all of our hard work paid off.  We got the 3 kids that we always dreamed of. That feeling will stick with me forever!  

What are your hopes and dreams for your children?

My biggest hope for my children is that they grow up to make this world a better place.  I want them to be positive contributors to our society.  We hope to raise them in a way that calls out their full potential and cultivates their God-given gifts.  

This is always my favorite question to ask moms because I feel like we are all in this together and sometimes, you just need to laugh. What is the funniest moment you’ve had recently as a mother?

Being a twin mom and mom of three is the most chaotic thing I’ve ever been a part of.  Twin 13 month olds are so messy.  Sometimes it is hard to clean the mess up right away.  After the boys eat (throwing most of it on the splat mat) we usually move right on to the next activity.  There have been several times I’ve gone to the kitchen to clean something and I noticed they went back to the mat and are eating off the floor.  Sometimes I just ride the wave of chaos and let them keep eating their second lunch.

A few final thoughts…

Celebrating our twins' first birthday was such a sweet moment for us after the heartache it took to get them and I’m so glad we have it all in pictures to remember. We will cherish them forever.  

Y’all, if you could have been a fly on the wall during this smash. Finn was all about his cake. He was quiet and content. He was focused on the task at hand – making sure he got every part of his cake. Larson, on the other hand, was the life of the party. Eating cake? Nah! Making everyone laugh by turning his cake into a slip and slide? Heck yeah!

I’m so lucky to get to work with families like this one and I am so grateful that Ingrid is so open and honest about their journey to three beautiful children.  You can read more of her story here.

 

Baby at the Beach | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Landon has a few places that he loves: Sky Zone ("the jumpy place"), the playground ("wanna slide" and the beach ("beach pleaseeeee") As we were packing the car to go to my inlaw's beach house, I threw the tricycle in the car just in case. Well, on our second night there, I found myself sharing a twin bed with a restless toddler who was up before the sun. I go him dressed, grabbed the bike and headed to the beach. Let me tell you, sunrise and the beach is the best thing in the entire world.  

I was a little worried about trying to take pictures of Landon at the beach by myself because he really comes alive/goes crazy as soon as his toes hit the sand. 

These pictures are some of my favorite pictures I've ever taken of him. Like my mom said, "these are just SO Landon!" 

Two years of taking pictures and he's starting to figure this thing out. These are the various reactions to "show me happy teeth". 

I had no idea what was in my camera after that worldwind of a session. I dragged him out of the water, threw a towel around him and headed back to the house to hose him down as everyone was starting to wake up. It sort of felt like out secret little morning together. 

Hampton Park Maternity Session | Charleston Maternity Photographer

Pam was one of the first people I met in Washington. We instantly hit it off because, even though we met on the opposite side of the country, we grew up about 20 minutes apart in Georgia. I'm pretty sure we were friends from that day on. The Navy has a way of doing that. We've endured deployments and celebrated homecomings. We've run many miles and races together, prayed together, and just did life together. We were thrilled to get orders to Charleston, the town where they had also moved.

And now we get to celebrate with them because they are adding a little girl to their family! With Pam's sweet, compassionate spirit and Kyle's calm, patient soul, this baby is going to have two of the most amazing parents! 

It was a warm evening in downtown Charleston, but Hampton Park was so good to us. Although it had rained for days prior, the sun was shining and the flowers were in full bloom. 

I know I speak for everyone when I say that I cannot wait to meet this little girl! I hope she knows how much she was prayed for and how many people already love her. 

First Day of Pre-School

We made a last minute (like, we enrolled him on Monday) decision to start Landon in Pre-K 2. He'll go three days a week to learn letters, numbers and hopefully how to listen. He was so excited about school and he even got to pick out a book bag (or nap bag as Landon calls it). We walked down the Target book bag row, which only had the leftover options for kids whose parents procrastinated. He saw the Paw Patrol bag and said, "how 'bout dis one!" He loves it. 

I think I was getting put in timeout here. Terrible twos can end at any point now. 

The ducks even came across the street to send him off. Either that or they know he throws them bread. 

And then he was off. He wanted to ride in a school bus, but settled for a "mommy school bus." The whole way to school he'd yell, "School bus. That's right!" every time we saw a bus. 

First Look | Hampton Park Maternity Session | Charleston Maternity Photographer

The joy of new life. We can't wait to meet you baby girl!

hampton park

Breastfeeding and Mommy Snuggles | Downtown Charleston

Last weekend, I had the honor of photographing six mommas and babies at Live, Love, Latch, Lowcountry to celebrate Breastfeeding Week 2016.