Thankfully, I remembered bookmarking this fantastic article a few weeks ago to read when I got a chance, (thanks to the many friends who shared it on Facebook). Boy, did I need it. So afterwards I whipped up a little wallpaper for my phone to serve as a quick daily (or hourly) reminder each day. Now anytime I check my phone for an email or text, that article is fresh in my brain. I am reminded that the day is new. Today I can choose a peaceful reaction to whatever bothersome behavior my three year old is showing at that moment.

& just in case you could use a little reminder yourself, I made it a free download below.

Click here to download > iPhone 3G / 4G / 4GS
Click here to download > iPhone 5G
Click here to download > Droid or other mobile device
Click here to download > Desktop 1024 x 768
Click here to download > Desktop 1600 x 1200
Click here to download > Desktop 1920 x 1200

Happy Friday, friends! Take a deep breathe and enjoy the weekend.

xo,

Donya

This month he:

- Traveled for the first time. Right before our trip to MN we realized that the furthest he’d been away from home was Galveston! He visited 5 new states on our road trip and did excellent in the car. He probably would have done even better if Ephram hadn’t woken him up so frequently from his naps.

- Started showing a desire to crawl at the beginning of the month and just in the last week or so he has learned to army crawl. Ephram’s toys are no longer safe. And he’s not too happy about it.

- During our drive back from MN, he learned to play peek-a-boo. Any time he has a blanket or burp rag near him now, he brings it over his face and giggles uncontrollably, waiting for someone to notice he’s “missing”.

- Says “mama”! First word! He knows how to make this mama’s heart melt, that’s for sure.

- Ephram is his favorite person on the planet. This month they really started playing more together.

- Went through a rough streak of bad sleep again right before our MN trip. It only got worse while we were traveling & staying with family since I didn’t want him waking up everyone in the house. So once we returned home, we had to re-teach him that nighttime is not for eating (yes, maybe once, but not 5 times/night!). And just a day or two later he was sleeping 11-12 hours/night.

- He still goes to sleep quite early, around 6-6:30pm, and then sleeps until 5-5:30am (which is when Beau & I get up anyways during the week), so I feed him then and he sleeps another 1.5-2.5 hours.

- Takes 3 naps most days. They are normally short (45 minutes – 1 hour), so I usually let him sleep in his swing during Ephram’s quiet time, which prolongs his nap sometimes to 2.5 hours. (= happy mama!)

- Loves his solid food! He has liked most things except peas and broccoli. But he loves cottage cheese, all fruits, and even has some of my smoothie occasionally. And he loves to hold a spoon while he eats.

- No teeth yet. Ephram got his around 8.5 months, but I was toothless until nearly 1 year, so it still could be awhile. He really wants to self feed though, which is hard without any teeth. The only thing I can really give him are the baby puffs.

- Estimating that he’s around 20lbs.  Still in size 3 diapers.  Some 6-12 month clothes are getting tight.

- Incredibly sweet. Super cuddly. Happy most of the time. We love him.

Alwyn’s Monthly Updates: Month 1, Month 2, Month 3, Month 4, Month 5, Month 6, Month 7

What are your favorite “keep cool” activities during the summer?

This month he:

- Is rolling all the time! He rolls all over his crib, and since he hates being on his back, when you lay him down to change his diaper, he rolls to his tummy as quick as he can.

- He’s not crawling yet, but he does roll back to tummy, tummy to back in order to make small movements towards toys when they are out of reach.

- At the beginning of the month he was only really enjoying fruits (banana, peach, apple), but a week or so later he developed a taste for just about anything we gave him. One day avocado was making him gag, and the next – he loved it!

- His naps have shortened back to 45 minutes, but occasionally it’s a bit longer. Since he takes such short naps, he’s still taking 3 and sometimes even 4 naps per day. Sometimes it’s still a stretch to get him to stay awake past 6pm, which means he’s usually very cranky while we’re eating dinner. We brought the swing out of retirement to make dinner time a little easier.

- Such a snuggler. When it’s time for a nap, he and I go rock for a minute in his room before I lay him down. I think these are my favorite times of the day. After a particularly difficult day with Ephram last week, I let him sleep in my arms. Made the day SO much better.

- Still not sleeping through the night, which is probably mostly my fault. He doesn’t *need* to eat at night, but it’s so much easier to just feed him and have us all go back to sleep instead of listening to crying. So, he still is up 1 or 2, sometimes 3 times a night… After our road trip, we may have to work on this a bit though.

- Ephram was my bottle baby, so I was super excited for Alwyn to be my bf’ed baby. I never would have guessed though that at 7 months, he would hate bottles. We’re working on it, and I think as he discovers his ability to hold the bottle on his own, it will help. Or maybe we’ll just move to a sippy cup soon.

- Everyone’s first comment when they see him: “Look at those eyes!”

Alwyn’s Monthly Updates: Month 1, Month 2, Month 3, Month 4, Month 5, Month 6

Okay, before I get to the photos below, I suppose I should announce a winner for the Giveaway!  First, let me say a HUGE thank you to so many of you who commented (here and over on FB) and shared my re-opening announcement.  I am super excited to get back into capturing sweet and silly moments between families, creating art for your home, and fully appreciated the support!

& the winner is: Lindsey Valencia!  Lindsey, check your inbox!  Can’t wait to chat!

1. Wow, I’m still kind of in shock watching the relationship between Ephram and Alwyn develop.  How did I not realize just how much I’d love hearing brothers laugh together?
2. We had a zoo trip this week.  SO fun.  Ephram was in love with the maps, which is probably a good indicator he could use a few to play with at home.
3. Seriously, is there a better age than 6 months old? I mean, sure he’s not sleeping through the night, but that smile, the giggles?  THE. BEST.
4. Goodness, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous.  We’ve been spending several evenings sitting in the backyard lately.
5. This kid cracks me up (when he’s not driving me crazy). I’m not even sure what he’s doing here – mid-hike at Brazos Bend last weekend while trying on his daddy’s sunglasses.
6. We’re growing peaches!
7. Thursday was Ephram’s yearly heart check up.  His heart looks great, but the check up was a bit traumatic for him.  I’m glad that he was back to smiling and goofing off by Thursday evening.
8.  The family that weeds together, stays together.  Right?  ;)
9. So we only debated over buying a brand new stroller for Alwyn since before he was born.  And after six months of re-using Ephram’s, we finally broke down and bought one.  Alwyn apparently loves it too since he took his first ever nap during a walk yesterday.

Happy Weekend!!

Did you know you can have a photo session at your home?  Often we think of pretty outdoor settings when we think of family photos, but there are actually several advantages to staying at home!  And with the Texas summer heat approaching, I wanted to take some time to talk about why home sessions can be great.

First of all, when you’re a mom, leaving the house always takes longer than expected.  Getting everyone dressed, with shoes on, and gathering everything else you need to get out the door can oftentimes bring on tears or even tantrums from little ones.  Why not have me come to you instead?  Kids are often much more comfortable in their own settings anyways.

Now I know you are thinking your home is not pretty enough to be used for a photo session.  But the most important factor in a location for me is actually light!  If you have windows in your home, you have good light.  However, the time of day may be a key factor in getting the best light.  You don’t want harsh or bright sunlight shining directly into your home, but you don’t want it all dark either.  The best way I can describe nice, indirect light is when your home is filled with light but you don’t see harsh shadows on the floor.  So when planning a photo session at your home, pay attention to what the light looks like at different times of the day, so you know what time will be best for you session to take place.

Less is more. Yes, I’m sure you’ll worry about how clean your house will have to be for a photo session.  When it comes to photos, typically I will move distracting objects so they won’t be in the image.  But this doesn’t mean your house needs to be spotless.  I may just ask you to move a bit of clutter to the side, so it doesn’t take the focus off of the kids.  I know how many toys kids have, I am not going to judge! ;)

Lastly, it’s much easier to grab a few shots outside when we can jump right back in to cool off!

// Here’s just a few favorites from a lovely at-home session

Today is officially the day I’m back in the business of capturing your adorable family with my camera. I’ve been slowly getting things ready to relaunch since my move to Texas, in the middle of moving twice and growing our family by one, but today it’s officially official! And to celebrate, a giveaway for a free photo session!

There are two ways to enter the giveaway:
1 – Sign up for the Newsletter to receive tips, info and other fun and random bits!
2 – Go to the Facebook page and click that “Like” button

You can do one or the other, or both! BUT, after you’ve done one or the other, you must leave a comment and let me know. One Comment = One Entry, so make sure to comment twice if you do both! On Friday I’ll announce the winner for the giveaway from those who have left comments.

Fine Print: The session must be booked by May 31st. The session must take place within 25 miles of Sugar Land, TX. Prints and products are not included in the giveaway. For more information about photo sessions with Donya Luana Photography, get the scoop here!

After you enter, don’t forget to spread the love to your friends and family so they can have a chance at winning the giveaway as well!

1. Alwyn is growing too fast! This ‘night owl’ Gap onesie was a favorite when Ephram was little and I forgot that it runs a little small. So even though it’s labeled 6-12 months, it’s nearly too small already.
2. This. boy. loves. food.
3. So much talk about Easter Egg hunts. We did two with friends and of course one when the Easter Bunny came. He still talks about them all.
4. Snuggles on the patio with daddy.
5. Ephram posing in the chair while I tested the light for Alwyn’s monthly photo.
6. Tres Leche cake made by my amazing husband for Easter/my birthday.
7. Love those eyes so ridiculously much. He’s been so interested in my water bottle, I figured I’d give him his own to practice with.
8. Oh, hey! I got an iMac last weekend! (best. birthday. present. ever.) They’ve finally lured me in, even though I said I never would switch from Windows. This article explains my thoughts exactly.
9. Seriously, when did Ephram get so old?

Happy Weekend!

PS. If you’re local and interested in a photo shoot in the near future, you just might want to come back here on Monday. ;)

But in all honesty, this boy is such a joy. His smiles are contagious and his sweetness is addictive.

This month he:

- Learned to sit up. My mom visited at the beginning of the month and had him sitting for short periods of time. Within just a few days, he was sitting for several minutes. I still leave the boppy behind him whenever I walk away because he falls occasionally.

- Recently has developed a desire for Ephram’s toys over his own. He’s sick of the baby toys already. I figured this would happen eventually (that brother is just too cool), but at 6 months?!

- I swear a switch flipped and now he wants to nap all the time. The baby who was previously giving me three or four short 35-45 minute naps every day was replaced with one who takes 1-2 hour naps four times a day!

- He’s still waking quite often at night, and he screams until I feed him, so I do… Right now he’s only nursing once or twice (usually twice) a night, and then coos himself back to sleep. I wish he’d sleep through the night, but it’s definitely better than it used to be.

- He’s eating solids. As he approached the 6 month mark I really started getting serious about giving him solids once or twice a day and he loves it. He wants spoonful after spoonful, especially if it’s squash. And this is in addition to nursing every 2-3 hours. He’s hungry boy.

- Unsure of how much he weighs. His check up is next week. (edit: He weighed 18 lbs at his check up!)

- Performed his first back to tummy roll. Twice! But both times were in his crib so I’ve not yet seen it with my own eyes. When he’s awake, he prefers to be sitting, but he gets close to rolling sometimes!

- Moves around in his crib a ton thanks to this move. He pushes with his feet, arches his back, and scoots northward.

- He is a super social boy. Loves smiling at people and giggling. He even had a flirt session with a slightly older baby girl at MOPS one day. Seriously one of the cutest things I’ve ever witnessed.

- His favorite person continues to be Ephram. He loves watching him play and gives the biggest smiles ever when he sees him. Ephram has finally started to interact with Alwyn too. Mostly by giving him blankets, which Alwyn finds hilarious.

- Took his first bath in a regular bath, while sitting in the bumbo. Can you believe I have been bathing him in our bathroom sink since he was born? We gave away Ephram’s baby bath when we moved and I was too stubborn to go buy another.

I really wish I wouldn’t have started this series in Ephram’s room. The lighting is only good on very sunny days and at a certain time each day – which is why the lighting is so off and diverse in those first three shots. Oh well, guess that’s what happens when you’re sleep deprived from a newborn! Maybe I’ll get crazy and switch to the master bedroom for the next three months just to change it up (a green background).