BACK TO BASICS

OKAY, I KNOW THIS TITLE IS A CHRISTINA AQUILERA SONG, BUT OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING...GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS SO THAT I CAN SORT OF GET BACK ON TRACK. BLOGGING HAS TAKEN A BACK SEAT THESE DAYS TO OTHER EVENTS, BUT HAVING LOOKED BACK AT PREVIOUS POSTS I REALIZED THIS BLOG HAS ALLOWED ME TO MAKE SOME AMAZING FRIENDS AND BRAG ABOUT MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL. SO HAVING SAID THAT, I'M GOING TO TRY AND GET BACK IN THE LOOP.

SO WHAT IS KIRA UP TO AT 32 MONTHS OF AGE

• TALKING UP A STORM. NOW SPEAKING 6-8 WORD SENTENCES AND I'M SO HAPPY!
• CLIMBING AND JUMPING
• RIDING HER TRIKE (IN THE HOUSE, BECAUSE MOMMY CAN'T RUN AS FAST AS SHE CAN PEDDLE THAT BIKE).
• BOSSING HER DOG AROUND.
• ROLE PLAYING WITH ELMO, MAX AND RUBY.
• MAKING NEW FRIENDS IN PRE-SCHOOL AND LEARNING TO CLEAN UP!
• CAN DRESS AND SOMETIMES COORDINATE HER OUTFITS.
• COUNTS TO 12 AND KNOWS ALL HER ALPHABETS.
• CAN PUT TOGETHER 12 PIECE PUZZLE WITHOUT HELP.
• THINKS HER KITCHEN IS A REAL KITCHEN AND SO I FIND ALL KINDS OF STUFF IN IT!
• NOW ANSWERS THE REAL PHONE AND CONVERSES WITH MY FRIENDS!
• SHE CRAYONS ON THE BIG SCREEN TV AND ALSO WASHES IT OFF.
• CAN THROW A BALL LIKE COLE HAMMEL (GO PHILLIES)!
• SHE LOVES TO DANCE AND REALLY HAS SOME RHYTHM.
• LOVES GIRLY THINGS (PURSES, SHOES, DRESSES).
• ENJOYS PLAYING WITH HER FRIENDS AND ASKS FOR SARAH ALL THE TIME!
• READS BOOKS TO HER DOG AND ELMO BABIES.

SHE IS A SHEER DELIGHT AND CAN OUT TALK ME:))

OCCASIONALLY SHE WILL HAM IT UP FOR THE CAMERA SO HERE'S SOME OF MY FAVORITE OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

FOLLOW ME ON SHUTTER BUG

PLEASE COME ON OVER TO SHUTTER BUG

I'VE BEEN POSTING PHOTOS OF SOME CUTE PICS THERE BECAUSE I CAN'T UPLOAD BIG FILES HERE. I HAVE TO ADMIT, THIS WEEKS IHEARTFACES "COMPLETELY CANDID" THEME REALLY GAVE ME A LAUGH WHEN I POSTED IT. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, CLICK OVER AND GET READY TO SMILE BIG:))

A STEP AT A TIME

MY DEAR FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS, A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS OF COMFORT AND SUPPORT. I'VE GOT CARDS FROM PEOPLE I NEVER MET AND THEN THOSE I AM SO CLOSE TO. I AM SO AMAZED AT THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE FOR MY FAMILY AND I, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY VERY GRATEFUL.

IT'S STILL SO DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET THROUGH THE DAYS WITHOUT SPEAKING TO MY MOM. TODAY, KIRA REACHED FOR HER PHOTO AND SAID "MOM MOM IS IN MY HEART" AND PUT HER HAND ON HER CHEST. I BURST OUT IN TEARS OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING HER. THEN SHE PROCEEDED TO GENTLY KISS THE PHOTO AND HAND IT BACK TO ME. I GUESS SHE SENSES MY PAIN, I JUST HOPE SHE DOESN'T HEAR ME CRYING LATE AT NIGHT.

MY DAYS ARE FULL OF PLAY WITH MY DAUGHTER, BUT MY NIGHTS REMAIN PENSIVE.

I HOPE TO CATCH UP ON THIS BLOG HERE SOON. I HAVE SOME GREAT PHOTOS THAT NEED TO BE HERE AND ALSO WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THIS BLOG, I REMEMBER IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME WHEN I GOT MY NEW "MAKEOVER" BLOG. I MISS BLOGGING AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND WANT TO POST SOON.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR SHOWING YOUR CONCERN AND HELPING ME TO SOMEHOW HEAL AND GET THROUGH THIS.

A MOTHER'S LOVE

I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO BLOG OF LATE, MOSTLY BECAUSE I WAS SO FOCUSED ON MY PHOTOGRAPHY, NOW I THINK THAT WAS LOST TIME AS CURRENTLY I MUST DEAL WITH A FAMILY TRAGEDY.

USUALLY I AM GIFTED WITH WORDS OF COMFORT WHEN IT COMES TO OTHERS I CARE ABOUT, BUT THIS TIME I AM COMPLETELY LOST. LOST AND LONELY, ISOLATED AND SCARED, ANXIOUS AND ANGRY, BECAUSE THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT ME INTO THIS WORLD, SUDDENLY LEFT, LEAVING ME WITH ALL THESE EMOTIONS I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO DEAL WITH.

I FIND MYSELF RE-VISITING MY PAST, HOPING THAT WHEN I DREAM, I FIND MY MOTHER STANDING NEXT TO ME SMILING AND TELLING ME EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY. THEN I AWAKE AND THIS SINKING FEELING HITS ME THAT I'LL NEVER SEE HER BEAUTIFUL SMILING FACE AGAIN.

SO NOW I THINK ABOUT MY MOTHER'S LEGACY TO ME, THE GIFT OF LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS DECADES, EVOLVING INTO A BOND THAT GROWS STRONGER THROUGH YEARS AND IS NEVER BROKEN. IT IS SECURITY, ADVICE AND STRENGTH TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN'T, IT IS JOY, CONTENTMENT AND WARMTH ON A BRISK FALL DAY. BUT MOST OF ALL, THIS LOVE, IS ABOUT A MOTHER AND HER DAUGHTER, WHO NOW GRACIOUSLY WILL CARRY ON A LEGACY OF HER LIFE STORIES.

WHILE I DEBATED WRITING ANYTHING ABOUT MY LOSS, I REALIZED THAT THIS BLOG IS ABOUT OUR LIVES AND CERTAINLY MY MOTHER WAS A VERY IMPORTANT FIGURE IN MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE. I JUST HOPE I CAN BE HALF THE MOTHER TO KIRA THAT MY DEAR MOTHER WAS TO ME.

MOM,
I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!

A DAY AT THE BEACH

Kira had so much fun running and jumping around on the beach.  It was nearly impossible to get her to sit still, but that was the fun part!  Watching her put her feet in the water for the first time brought back so many memories for some reason.  I guess the "shore" will always be my home away from home since I practically grew up there.

These photos were taken along a NJ shoreline  if you can believe it.  Lightroom works wonders for muddy water:))  The first photo is my favorite because I caught that great look she occasionally gives me.  These were all taken with natural light around 5pm with my 50mm lens.  It was definitely fun to get to the beach, finally...if only to take a few photos!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

A BIT OF SASS AND SILLINESS

I LOVE THIS FACE!

I SAID MOVE OVER!

YOU GO FIRST DOG!

AWH, HER BEST FRIEND!  THE BIG DOG WITH A BIG KISS FOR KIRA

I'VE FALLEN AND CAN'T GET OUT !

FIRST INTRODUCTION TO TREE CLIMBING AND AWAY SHE GOES!

YOU WANT ME TO COME DOWN!  WELL COME AND GET ME MOMMY!

I LOVE THE WAY THE TREE SEEMS TO BE THE FRAME IN THIS PHOTO.  SOMETHING CAUGHT HER EYE, PROBABLY AN ANT!

IT'S BEEN PRETTY RAINY THIS MONTH SO THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN A FEW WEEKS AGO.  I CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RAIN, IT JUST MAKES THE GARDENS AND GRASS GREENER FOR A LONGER TIME, BUT IT DOES MAKE FOR SOME INTERESTING ENTERTAINMENT FOR A 2 YEAR OLD.  

KIRA'S LANGUAGE ACQUISITION HAS STEADILY IMPROVED.  NOW SHE'S SAYING SENTENCES, YELLING AT THE DOG, ASKING FOR THINGS AND REFERRING TO HERSELF AS "ME" OR "KEE".  SHE LOVES HER DOG RECCHI, BUT LOVES BOSING HIM AROUND MORE (AS YOU CAN SEE).  

I FOUND HER SINGING THE THEME SONG TO "ELMO'S WORLD" AND SILENTLY LAUGHED AT SHE DELIGHTFULLY AND PROUDLY BELTED OUT THAT TUNE!

POTTY TRAINING IS ON THE BACK BURNER FOR SOME REASON, BUT HEY, SHE'S BUSY LEARNING TO SPEAK, CLIMB AND RECENTLY COUNT TO 9.  SHE'S ALSO ENGAGES IN PLAYING MOMMY TO ELMO AND HER STUFFED KITTY AND WRAPS THEM UP IN TOWELS AND PLACES THEM IN HER BED TO SLEEP.  

SHE'D RATHER BE OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME AND LOVES WATCHING THE BUNNIES HOP ACROSS THE GRASS.

TRULY GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, I AM TRYING TO CAPTURE SOME OF HER PERSONALITY WHICH DEFINITELY IS A COMBINATION OF SASS AND SILLINESS.

I AM SO PROUD OF THIS CHILD, WHO CONTINUES TO BE SUCH A SWEET AND SENSITIVE LITTLE GIRL THAT CONTINUES TO CAPTIVATE THE ATTENTION OF HER ADORING FAMILY.