Photography Incentive

Post by Michelle Johnson Photography.

Eight Months Old

Currently: 
20 lbs 1 oz
27.5 inches
Blonde hair, blue eyes

Likes: 
Blowing raspberries on momma
Babbling
Pulling himself up
Standing
Walking (assisted)
Food

Dislikes: 
Teething
Sweating
The ocean
When he has to sit down
Trying to crawl, would much rather walk

Sleep: 
Hit and miss... sometimes 4-5 hours straight, sometimes only 90 minutes.

Best Moments: 
Three teeth!
Pulling himself up into standing position
Being able to go from his belly or back to sitting
Seeing aunty Elisha
New, awesome car seat!

Worst Moments:

The falling continues

Teething pains

Protesting sleep

Teething Troubles

Teething feelings like a never-ending experience. Tyrus started showing signs of teething at two months old; lots of drool, gnawing on everything, and hands constantly in his mouth. A few months passed before I could see the outline of his lower and upper front teeth. There they sit, 8 teeth ready to pop through at any moment. His chiropractor warned me that he's probably going to get several teeth within a short period of time and his gums will likely bleed. The thought alone makes my mouth hurt, so I can only imagine how badly it'll be for him. I hate the idea of drugging up my babe, so I have found a few homeopathic remedies that we've been using, off and on, for the last five months. 

I have the first necklace

Tyrus' amber necklace has helped us a lot throughout this ordeal. There are several people who aren't up to speed with the amber teething necklace so I'll explain it further. Baltic Amber is a natural analgesic and when worn on the skin, it releases healing oils that helps babies and young children to stay calm and more relaxed thoughout teething. I swear by them! Tyrus started with his first teething necklace when he was 2 months old. However, it is rumoured that the necklaces should be replaced every six months so I just bought him a new one and his drooling decreased drastically!

Borion Camilia is another homeopathic remedy that I use. It's made with sterile water and contains no sugar, no colouring and no preservatives. It also comes in sterile, drinkable and unbreakable unit-doses, making it an easy-to-administer, and fast-acting way of soothing teething pains. This is one of my favourite remedies because you don't have to mess around with syringes and the proper dose. It's super easy when you're out and about! It's also not too expensive and can be found at numerous stores. I got mine from Lifestyles Market and paid $16 for 30 unit-doses.

Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets is newer to me. A friend of mine gave me the rest of hers to give it a shot. We haven't have many chances to use it, yet, but I have tried twice and Tyrus likes the taste of them and finds them entertaining! They melt super quickly in baby's mouth and are also fast-working and easy to administer. These provide a homeopathic formula for symptoms of simple restlessness and wakeful irritability due to the cutting of teeth. It helps reduce pain, inflammation and redness of gums. These can be found at several stores, including Walmart, for $10-$12.

I know some people aren't aware of drug-free ways to deal with teething, so I hope this post can open your eyes to homeopathic remedies. Of course, if none of these work, then call in Tylenol or Advil.

All in all, teething sucks! Baby T is often cranky, very cuddly, and waking frequently to comfort nurse. His first tooth is sitting on the surface (I can feel the tip of the tooth!) and the second is right behind. However, these are the first two of many more to come... remember to take a deep breath. All babies have to go through this, but there are ways of coping and helping babe, as well as yourself. It'll be over soon and you'll find yourself missing the extra cuddles... or maybe you won't! :) 

Seven Months Old

Currently: 
18lbs 7oz
27 inches long
Blonde hair, blue eyes

Likes: 
Falling off of the couch
Raspberries on his belly
Stealing everything from momma
Chewing on said stolen items
Boobie time
Chicken

Dislikes: 
The pain from falling off the couch
Trying to crawl
Extra long naps



Sleep: 
Never consistent... sometimes he'll sleep for 4-5 hours, other times only 2 hours.

Best Moments: 
Walking with assistance
Drinking from a straw
Eczema is finally starting to heal
Finally starting to like solids

Worst Moments:
First high fever and bad cold

Bumping his head

Favourite Pictures:

This is Just the Beginning

I recently started a new venture in photography that I'm really excited about. I posted ads on two Swap&Shop pages on facebook offering three free sessions (per post) and had an overwhelming response. I'm a little apprehensive, but also very excited to build my business!

My first free session was on Saturday, June 21st. I actually had three back-to-back free sessions that day and it was so much fun! I decided to do the photos at Royal Roads University, which is absolutely gorgeous, and I think it was very successful. My first session was with Kristine and her 3 month old son Jack. He was the cutest little baby with the best chubby cheeks!

His momma also had gorgeous green eyes to go with her red hair! It was any photographers dream, in my opinion. They were both a pleasure to work with. Jack was very relaxed and didn't even get upset! 

After Kristine and Jack was a family of four, including a 2.5 year old and a 6.5 month old. This was my first experience with a toddler and it was definitely an eye opener! Little Alexa has a mind of her own and was not up for having her pretty little face photographed, so we spent a lot of time wandering through the water (where she was happy).

It was a struggle to get her to sit long enough to get a good family photo, but I'm hoping the parents are happy with what they get! She was such a sweetheart, just not feeling the whole photographing thing and I totally get that. She also has the cutest little sister!

The last family of the day were also a blast! They're 20 month old son Rickard was quite entertaining and wasn't the least bit camera shy. He has two awesome, laid-back parents that I really bonded with. We had lots of fun exploring the grounds... Rickard wasn't too fond of the angel statue, though.

I guess the statue is a little creepy... sorry, dude! Of course, no photo session is complete without at least one little melt down... and boy, did he have the best melt down face! I hope his momma is okay with me sharing this one!

That pretty much sums up my first day of shooting! I took over 700 pictures and have 500 left to go through and edit. It's a daunting task, but I'm so excited to share these photos with the families. They will hopefully be great memories for years to come.

Feeling Helpless - Dealing With a Sick Baby

I rolled over to answer the subtle whines of my 6.5 month old baby for his usual 6:00 am feeding. Reaching over, I touched his little body and instantly knew that something was wrong. My heart sunk as I felt the heat radiating off of him. He was now whimpering as I slowly picked him up from beside me. I quickly put him on the boob and sent a text to my mom asking for her to bring the thermometer and Tylenol into my bedroom. It was in this moment that I found out just how much it hurts when your little baby falls ill. Tyrus' fever was 38.6 C (101.5 F).

Now, I've never done this whole "Mom" thing before. I can barely take care of myself when I'm sick, so how am I supposed to know what a little baby needs to feel better? I was clueless. I have no idea what is going on with him. All I know is that he's sick and he needs me more than ever right now. I soaked some clothes in cold water to drape over him, but he hated it. They made him cry even more, which made my heart break further. I had to keep up with it, though. I didn't want to risk him having a febrile seizure. We also had a lukewarm bath with his toys that really helped bring the fever down, it also distracted him for a little while.

This is Tyrus' first big cold and was also a realization for myself... I don't have much for him when he's sick! So, I decided to compile a list of must haves for helping a sick baby.

#1 on my list is a cool air humidifier. They come in a variety of sizes and designs, including a frog! They aren't cheap, but you can find a basic one for $39.99 or the one pictured for $64.99, both at Toys R Us.
"This Crane Cool Mist Humidifier provides additional comfort to cold symptoms, dry itchy skin, and chapped lips. The whisper quiet humidifier won't disturb sleep and operates on a low power consumption providing min. of 11 hours of moisture from a removable 0.9 gallon water tank. It includes an automatic shut off safety feature when water tank is empty."



#2 Thermometer. It's important to check your baby's temperature numerous times throughout the day. I don't know what the "rule" is, however I tend to check Tyrus' temperature every 30 minutes.


#3 Nosefrida. This thing is very helpful when your baby has a runny/stuffy nose. The idea is a little gross and creeps me out, but it works! You are actually able to suck the mucus out of their nose, and no it doesn't go into your mouth.



#4 Syringe. This thing makes giving medicine soooo much easier! I have a few, one came with my Tyenol and my favourite one was given to me by a pharmacist.

#5 Medicine! I'm generally all about homeopathic remedies, but sometimes you just need to use the big stuff. I alternated between Tylenol and Motrin every four hours on day one. However, day two we went with Kids 0-9 Cough and Cold!

Last, but not least, #6 snuggles. I was told by a few people that I shouldn't let my baby sleep on my chest while he has a fever, but that's where he wanted to be and I wasn't going to deny him that. We snuggled all day!

Dealing with a sick baby is no fun. I'm extremely sensitive, so my days have been full of tears from the both of us. I'm slowly losing my sanity, but keep reminding myself that Tyrus will return to his happy, energetic self and it'll all be over soon. I hope I provided tips to help you cope with this difficult time of mommahood.

Single Momma Struggles

I had to make one of the toughest, but bravest decisions I will ever make in my life on April 5th, 2013. I consciously chose to keep my pregnancy knowing full well that I'd be doing it alone. I had no idea what motherhood entailed. I didn't know about baby eczema or sleep regressions. All I knew is that I'd be doing it alone. Every feeding. Every cry. Every restless night. I don't even know how I'm still functioning and friends have also made comments... "I couldn't imagine being a single momma", "I don't know how you do it".

Honestly, I don't know either. Sure, I may not know any differently, but I do fantasise over it. This is not the ideal life and I do wish that I could have my exact son five or even seven years from now. In my picture perfect world. However, this is the path that I'm meant to go down and I'm conquering it one day at a time... one very long, slow day at a time.

My strength was tested today. We had a terrible night of comfort nursing and tears coupled with waking up sick. Yes, sick. I have a sore throat, a wicked headache, hot/cold flashes, and a 6 month old son that just wants to chat away and play with me. I have no idea how other single mommas handle this... but today I had to wave the white flag. A friend of mine sent me a text in the morning asking when she could come grab Tyrus for the day. I hesitated at first, not knowing if he was getting sick, too. In the end, I thawed out 15 ounces of milk and packed his things. It was bitter-sweet. Part of me felt like I had given up... but the better part of me knew that I couldn't take care of him today in my state. I was able to go back to bed and get some much needed rest. I'm still not feeling 100%, but I'm getting there.

In the end, today has helped me to realize that it's okay to call for help when I need it. I can't always be strong and I can't always be at my best. Maybe one day I'll be able to handle mommahood and sickness, but that doesn't have to be today, tomorrow, or even next Tuesday. I have 17 years and 6 months left... minimum. I'll be able to handle it one day, but for now I'll keep trying and that's all that matters.

To all of you single mommas out there, remember to breath. Remember to take time for yourself. But most importantly, remember to ask for help if you need it... or even if you just want to get away for a few hours. We can't always be rock stars. We are allowed to have our weak moments.