Without children...

I was reading this article today. The article is about the current child-free movement. There are airlines, restaurants and hotels all over the world that are declaring kid free areas. As a new parent, my first response was outrage. How dare you discriminate against me because I have a child! But then, I started reading some of the reader comments which made me think rationally instead of defensively.

Here's the thing, not that long ago, I was one of those "please take out your screaming child" people. Now that I have a kid, I'm still a "please take out your screaming child" person. There is a time and a place for  kids. You want to take your kid to the movies then take them to a child/age appropriate movie. You want to go out to dinner - great - but if your kid starts screaming take them outside. I know I only have an almost 6 month old baby, but this is the way I was brought up. We were not allowed to throw tantrums in public. We knew that restaurants, malls and other public places required us to be on our best behavior.

So at what point did well-behaved children become an anomaly instead of the norm?

Support Warren Golf Tournament

On Monday, I had the privilege of being the photographer at the Support Warren Golf Tournament. Warren is a four-year old boy with cerebral palsy. He was born completely healthy with no complications of any sort. When he was 11 months old, Warren suffered a brain hemorrhage resulting in multiple strokes and permanent brain damage. It has been three years since his injury to include three brain surgeries, but the following are some of the challenges he continues to face: no speech, blind, poor muscle control resulting in the inability to sit up or walk, and a feeding tube. Warren has been accepted into a stem cell facility in Mexico. The doctors will take stem cells from Warren's bone marrow and place them in his spine. The hope is that the stem cells will repair the damage from the strokes. 


I cannot begin to say what an honor it was to be part of Monday's tournament. The outpouring of love for Warren and his incredible family was amazing. Warren and his family are truly an inspiration. 


Just a few photographs from the day:

Sweetheart

On Monday while I was taking pictures, Caitlyn was

doing a little of this,

made a new friend,

and (finally) took a nap! 

Seriously could not have asked for her to behave better than she did on Monday. 

Bedtime Read

Every night before she goes to sleep, we read a bedtime book. My favorite is one that her Grandma got her. It's Time to Sleep, My Love, by Nancy Tillman and Eric Metaxas, has beautiful pictures and such sweet words. My favorite part:

You're dreams will be arriving soon.

They'll float to you 

in sleep's balloon. 

They'll be here when I snuff the wick,

you'd better close your eyelids quick.

So you can dream, my love, my love.

So you can dream, my love. 

And as you dream inside your sleep,

the fishes crooning in the deep, and 

all the songbirds up above 

will sleep and dream of you, my love,

of you, the one I love. 

Do you read to your child(ren) before bed? If so, what is your favorite book? 

Aquarium

While at the beach, we visited Ripley's Aquarium. The whole family enjoyed it. If you are ever in the area, check it out. 

A homecoming, a beach trip, and a godfather

The last several weeks have been quite busy. 

1) The Hubs came home! Him and Caitlyn are buddies! 

2 & 3) We went to the beach for the first time with the baby. She didn't hate it! 

4) Caitlyn got to meet her godfather (aka Adam's brother-by-another mother) for the first time. It was love at first sight for both of them. 

Today, I felt...

like a Rockstar. I took pictures at a charity golf tournament while toting around a 5.5 month old. Yes, today I felt like a rockstar. Pics and more info to come.

things i love

baby smiles

Bailey

brothers

This post brought to you by the letter "b."

Summertime

Last week coming home from the beach, we drove through this: 

Can you find the road? Yea, neither could we. 

But about five minutes later, we were driving through this: 

Blue skies and fluffy clouds ahead! I think there is something so beautiful about blue sky peaking through gray, fluffy clouds.