JUNE 6, 2016

Watch Hill, Rhode Island

These posts are always hard for me to write because it’s one of those things that doesn’t feel real until you say it out loud… I have a five year old… ugh how did that happen?  I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.  I had braxton hicks contractions for months prior to her arrival, so it took me a while to believe it was real this time.  They started late in the evening, but I ignored them until about midnight since she wasn’t due for another 6 days.  Nothing was helping them & my doctor had to go in for a c-section anyway so he told me to come on in to be checked out.  We sent out those “I don’t know if it’s time yet, but the baby MIGHT be coming” text messages to our family.  My in-laws joked in the days before because they had to attend a surprise party out of state & knew our little one would make her debut while they were gone… well, they were right!  We got to the hospital and the Dr. decided it was go time.  My in-laws rushed home from Pennsylvania & my parents arrived at the hospital before we even had a game plan (they were just a little excited).

At 8:10 in the morning little miss Makaila Lynn enter this world with the biggest, most alert blue eyes I have ever seen.  She had 10 fingers, 10 toes & was absolutely perfect.  In that moment I became a Mommy & my world would be changed forever.  My days would become all about dolls, dress-up & Disney princesses.  I would look forward to dance recitals & play dates with her girlfriends.  I would have a permanent shopping buddy, that could do more damage than me in Target… & that’s an accomplishment! I would re-fall-in-love with the holidays all over again because getting to experience it through a child’s eyes is the most exciting thing on this planet.  I would learn that I do not need 10 hours of sleep to function like an adult (although it is nice to get more than 6 once and a while).  What used to be important to me wouldn’t matter at all anymore & I would feel this permanent state of worry that would never go away because my heart is literally walking around in this scary, cruel world.  I wish I could shield her from the horrible people that may want to hurt her, break her heart or knock her down.  But like all parents know, you can’t protect them from everything.  What I can do is teach her to be kind to her peers, respect her elders, to stand up for what she believes in & NEVER let anyone tell her what to think & how to feel.  At five years old she already know that with hard work & dedication she can have anything she wants out of this world & if you know Makaila, she will have it.

Five was a very special birthday for our girl.  If you saw my last post on her super special American Girl party, you know Makaila is as girly as they come and we also got a soft play area from www.softplaydesignandinstallation.co.uk so she and her friends could play a lot.  I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday pictures this year & she said she wanted to be a mermaid.  Well, once I started brainstorming, that was it, I was committed to the theme.  I found this sequined mermaid outfit and I was all set.  Once it came in the mail I had her try it on and she was ecstatic!   “I’m a real life Ariel!” came out of her mouth.  We went to our favorite beach where I knew had the perfect jetty for some posed mermaid shots (& possibly to stalk T.Swift 🙂 )  One thing I like to do with both my kids is to include the other one in to some pictures matching their theme, so what would be more perfect with our little Ariel, the a little prince Eric to match.  While Logan may have been more interested in the marine life, then his sister’s birthday pictures, I did capture one picture that may be blown up life-sized & plastered on the walls of our house at some point.

Happiest of Birthdays to our little girl!  Thank you for making me a Mommy! <3

Check out some of my favorites from Mak’s mermaid birthday session below & make sure to leave some love so I know what you think!

& we lived happily ever after

MERMAID OUTFIT: CARKEN DESIGN