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Somewhere along the line I forgot how to have fun with Hailey. At first, I was really good at it. I worked during naps, and when she was awake, it was all about her. We painted, colored, played with her toys, took walks, you name it. But then, she stopped taking a couple 2-3 hour naps a day and I began needing to work during ‘Hailey time’. And then, it became all about work. I am constantly trying to find things to occupy her time so I can work. It’s gotten out of control. I lost my sense of priority big time. Last week, we had the luxury of having daddy home for the entire week. Every year he gets the week after Christmas off. Usually we are busy doing things, either traveling or doing home improvement projects. But this year, we had nothing. We got a week of hanging out as a family…and it rocked. I don’t think I checked Facebook more than once. I know I slacked on my posting of anything AMP related, and we all survived. Life went on. Nobody dumped me as a photographer because I was off line for a week. Heck, I’m sure nobody even noticed. But what we got out of that week was something to be treasured.

In just a very short amount of time (less than 4 months now!!) we will no longer be a family of 3. We will be welcoming a precious baby boy into our lives. Things will be insanely different. I’m not really big on new year’s resolutions…I figure if there’s something that needs to be changed, do it today…not just because it’s a new year. But that’s just me. However, if I were going to make one, it would be to focus more time and energy spent on my family. To take the time to stop and do something with Hailey and not be checking my phone or trying to write a blog post at the same time. She deserves to be more important than my work. Period.

Did you make a new year’s resolution? Or should I say a ‘today’ resolution (because you don’t have to wait until the new year!) I’d love to hear about it!

I am still veeerry early in this pregnancy. Only 16 weeks in. I know I still have a long ways to go, but every once in a while Hailey and I will just be hanging out and I feel this wave of sadness wash over me. For so long it’s been just the three of us, and that’s all going to change forever. I remember feeling this same way when I was pregnant with Hailey. Don’t get me wrong. I am OVERJOYED to be having another little one, and I know we will have many more amazing memories as a family of 4. I’m just going to miss all this time I get with my babes.

I can only imagine the irreparable damage I am causing to this sweet little girl by having a camera in my face half the time . I love these just as much as I love any other photo of her. Ah the life of a photographer’s child .

I’ve heard about these one a day or 365 projects over the last few years. I’ve always thought it would be so great to actually accomplish one of these. But. I know that’s impossible. It’s something I would start with great enthusiasm, and then let it fall to the wayside as life got busy. I didn’t want that to stop me from documenting our life though. So I’ve started my own version of one frame a day. It’s not going to happen every single day. There may even be weeks where I don’t get to take a photo (although I’m going to try to avoid that!). And I’m okay with that. I’m going to avoid the all-or-nothing thinking and document our live while we live it. Here’s January. Just everyday snaps of life at the Kragers’.

Finally getting a chance to go through some of these workshop images. Being a the camera crazy nutcase I am, there aren’t too many pictures of  me floating around this world. So I am so so greatful when one appears. And that’s the benefit of going to a workshop I guess . Lots of photogs around ready to snap away! So thank you so very much to my new dear friends Minnette and Michele.

When Hailey was born, Justin insisted we teach her to sleep on her own. We didn’t do any crazy ‘cry it out’ training or anything like that, we simply laid her down in her crib, she cried for a minute or so and then fell fast asleep. This was around 6 weeks old, and she was been an amazing sleeper ever since. I am so greatful for this in so many ways. But in a lot of ways I’m sad we don’t have a snuggly girl. She’s never been one to just fall asleep anywhere. She won’t fall asleep on the couch, she won’t fall asleep in our laps, she needs a bed and, of course, her pink ‘nigh-nigh’. This is why we were in complete and utter shock when she fell asleep in the middle of the airport. THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRPORT people!! We were on our way  home from our trip to Texas in October and some intense storms re-routed us to Colorado…for a fabulous 10 hours. With a 2 year old. Yeah. So around 1:00, I knew she was getting sleepy and ready for nap time, but where the heck was she going to sleep? So, we called on the magic of the pink nigh-nigh…and it worked! our little princess fell asleep for a good 2 hours. Someone was watching out for us that day, because things could have gone much worse.

So being that it is such a rare occassion for us to watch her sleep, and I had an insane amount of time to kill waiting for our flight, I decided to see just how many angles I could catch of our sleeping beauty. Overkill? Maybe .

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post dedicated to our daughter. It’s been a crazy winter so far, but we’re finally getting some time to wind down and just enjoy being a family in our new home. So that means I’m finally getting a chance to peek at all of my photos from 2010. A fabulous new friend suggested I listen to Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift because she thought it fit our family so very well. So when I got the chance to sit down and listen to the song, I was flooded with memories of the past 2 1/2 years with our baby girl. It is the perfect song to accompany a (very late) 2010 slideshow.

Oh Hailey. You are smack dab in the middle of the “terrible twos”. Some Most days you can be pretty terrible. Most days you are pretty awesome, too. You are developing your very own character, opinions, personality. It is so amazing to watch you grow. You still love your ‘pink nigh nigh’ and insist on carrying it everywhere with you. Honestly, I hope when you’re 16 you secretly stash it’s tattered remains in your car because it makes you feel safe and protected and reminds you of home and all things good. You’re in love with Strawberry Shortcake. They’ve actually made some Strawberry Shortcake movies, but they desperately need to make more because your dad and I are going to develop a twitch if we watch it one more time. You’ve definitely got your dad’s attention to detail and engineering mind when it comes to things being exact, or in perfect order. And you’ve definitely got my creative side and love to paint, color, and play pretend. You love your skirts. In fact, I can’t remember the last time you wore a pair of pants (at least without a skirt over them). Blue jeans are so not okay. You love to put a skirt on and the twirlier the better. If it’s pink or got sparkles, you’re pretty much set for a few hours. You are the biggest blessing in our lives and we are so lucky to be your parents. We love you baby girl.

xoxo
mom & dad

(press the play button to view Hailey’s slideshow)

During the workshop a few weeks ago, Michele was kind enough to take some shots of each of us to use for our websites, blogs, etc. We had a great time thinking up a group shot ~ after several nights of wine and SNL clips, we came up with this:

It is so rare for me to get in front of the camera (my fault, I know), I am so so grateful that she took the afternoon to walk around and do this for us. I hope you know how much we love you Michele .

Well…at least one good thing came from Sunday’s football game. Hailey got to spend some quality time with her Beboo and Asheey. She adores these two. ‘Beboo’ is my brother and she doesn’t get to see him nearly enough. But luckily that will be changing in a few months! Anyway, my little brother stole a ‘vintage’ Bears sweater from our dad and when he walked in the door I knew I had to try and get some pictures of him with Hailey in her little Urlacher  jersey. Well…this is what she gave me . I actually am quite in love with this series of shots. It was dark outside and our pre-remodel kitchen doesn’t exactly have the greatest light. So these are grainy, blurry, shadowy, not technically great by any means. Which is why they are in black and white . But I love them just the same…nitty, gritty, every day life .

And I think I will enjoy rooting against the Packers in the Superbowl almost as much as I would have enjoyed rooting for my Bears. Maybe next year .

Poor thing…she’s gotta grow up in a Packer’s house .

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