A Beautiful Young Lady at Pena Adobe Park | Down Syndrome Awareness Month

I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely young lady at Pena Adobe Park yesterday for a mini photo session.

She greeted me with a warm smile and a friendly handshake, but had a glint in her eye that told me that mischief might occur. 

She even offered an occasional courtesy laugh to let me feel like I'm as funny as I think I am. 😉

She was easygoing and up for any pose or location that I suggested. 

Serenity overtook her as she blew bubbles. There was a calmness that washed over her and I enjoyed watching her in this element.

This smile. She may not have expressed herself with many words during our session, but this smile about sums it up. I always feel blessed to have the privilege of photographing wonderful individuals and I try my best to capture personalities. It isn't about the posing, the perfect smile or the right location. For me, I want to look back at the photo and remember the personality that shined through during the session.

Thank you, Miss S, for a fun session. It was a pleasure meeting you and your sister. ❤

Guess Who is 8??! | Western Railway Museum Rio Vista

Twice a year I ask myself the same question – where the heck did the time go???

The boys’ birthdays sneak up on me every year and every year I piece of me is sad that they are getting older. Where are my babies?

We headed to the Western Railway Museum with baby cousin for Cody’s birthday portrait session.

We started with a train ride. The relationship between these 2 is amazing and sweet (mixed with moments of “leave me alone”. They have a true sibling relationship.

This little man has grown by leaps and bounds this past year. Moving from traditional schooling to homeschooling has made a tremendous difference in his behavior, learning and personality. He is back to his most of the time happy self and blowing me away with what he is comprehending and retaining.

This smile is contagious and can light up a room!

He has an amazing sense of humor and is a little jokester that knows how to crack us all up.

He is strong-willed, hilarious, sweet, loving, curious, handsome, confident and stubborn. ;)

This serious face appears at least once a day. I love this expression!! ;)

 

Happy of happiest of birthdays to you, my sweet Cody! We love you to infinity and beyond!

Featured in Our Local Newspaper, The Daily Republic

Though I was not in town to see the newspaper first hand for myself, I was thrilled beyond belief when my sister-in-law sent me a photo of the newspaper article. 

I had anticipated a small article in a small section of the paper. I was crazy excited with the thought of that! :) 

When I saw the photo of the newspaper and that it took the entire page, I wanted to burst into tears. THAT WAS ME! 

ME!!! 

When I saw the article online, I was very excited and still thought the print version would be a smidgen of the page.

The feedback I have received from the article is flattering and humbling. 

I am thankful.

Playing in the Rain

I have known this young man since before he and Cody could walk. We met him shortly after moving to Solano in 2008 and at that time, his older brother and DJ were in a karate class together. Cody and this little man were still crawling and became instant friends.

A couple of years later, they were classmates in preschool and our families have enjoyed their friendship throughout these years.

I was excited to FINALLY get this little man in front of my camera!! It was 6 years in the making, but it happened.

Friends, he didn’t disappoint!  

This sly, sweet smile is what I know him best for. I’d happily hand over a bag full of candy whenever he smiles at me like this.

I adore this kid! OH this face!

Big brother was there to help guide the session. He helped entertain his little brother and had music at the ready.

I love the tenderness of this next photo!!!! This isn’t a rare sight between these brothers. Little man has a pretty awesome caring big brother! 

I wasn’t as amusing to little man as the music. Go figure.

MUD!

In true boy fashion, mud found its way into the session. Rain + mud + boy =

I just love that photo above. THAT is his personality. Playful, funny, and always ready for fun!

As we wrapped up the session, the rain began to fall so the boys popped up their umbrella. 

How sweet are they?????

A Day at a Napa Valley Winery with the B Family

One thing I love about photography is seeing families year after year and watching their children grow!

I met this little guy when he was only a year old. Now, at 6, he is a little ham and full of jokes!

He also served as director during the photo session and instructed mom and dad on where they should stand (or sit). You’ll soon see how great his directing and staging skills are. I may need to hire him! :)

As I drove to Napa for the session, I was thrilled to see that the leaves were starting to change color.

When the family arrived wearing orange, I was thrilled! It was a perfect fall session set-up!

They are a beautiful family and these smiles show the love that just oozes out of them.

Yup, it just oozes!

This next photo is one of my favorite photos from the session.

LOVE. It just screams LOVE!

This is my 2nd favorite photo! Snuggle time is reserved for him, not mom and dad, right???

One thing is for sure. This kid is loved and completely adored by mom and dad. You can see it in his smile. You can see it in their eyes. LOVED!

Just Be There | Down Syndrome Awareness Month

When we first found out about Cody’s diagnosis, when we went through his heart surgery, when he spent a month on a ventilator fighting for his life in the hospital and now with the occasional frustrations of fighting for what is best for Cody, we have friends that support us.

Some of the acquaintance type friendships have become stronger while some of the strongest friendships became weaker.

I get it.

I’m not hatin’.

I know that for some, it was/is hard to know what to say, what to do, how to be there.

Here’s the thing…

You don’t have to know the right words.

You don’t even have to say a word.

A hug of encouragement will suffice.

When we go through our downs, we just hope that you will be there.

When Cody was in the hospital, his dad and I took shifts to stay with him. One would spend the day at the hospital while the other was home with DJ. In the evening after visiting hours, one would go home with DJ while the other stayed the night. We did this for a total of over a month.

We had visitors, but they were few.

Friends and family from out of town called frequently and flew in occasionally to visit. We treasured those visits.

It was hard at the time to understand why local family and friends didn’t visit.

To be honest, at the time it hurt.

The ones that were closest to us came around maybe once or twice in over a month’s timeframe.

That hurt.

For awhile, I held a grudge, but then I realized that people handle things differently.

I’m the type of person that wants to be by your side and help when I can.

At the time, I couldn’t understand why close friends couldn’t be there for me when I was falling apart, when I needed a shoulder to lean on and just someone to be there.

It took awhile, but then I understood.

They didn’t know what to say.

That is the #1 thing I heard through the first few months of Cody’s life, “I don’t know what to say.”

I wish they had realized that we didn’t want them to say “just the right thing”. That wasn’t what we wanted to hear.

We just needed support.

We needed momentary distractions from life inside the hospital.

We needed to laugh more.

We needed to be reminded of what was going on in the world outside those ICU doors.

We wanted to know how your day was, what the weather was like, what was happening on our favorite TV show….

There usually aren’t “just the right words” to say when someone is going through something stressful.

Don’t look for those words before you offer support.

Your friendship is all that is needed.

Being a Part of Something Great | Photographing Children With Special Needs & Giveaway!

On October 1st, I stalked my front door.

I felt like a kid waking up the morning of their birthday.

With every rev of a car, I was peeking at my front door to see if the infamous brown truck was here to deliver my long awaited package.

When the doorbell finally rang, I sprinted to the door and ripped open the package to find this:

Me Ra Koh’s sequel to Your Baby in Pictures, Your Child in Pictures, was JUST released and in my anxious little hands!

Not only was I awaiting this book because Me Ra does a great way of breaking down photography so parents can become their child’s own paparazzi, BUT I had the honor of being a part of it!!

Last fall, Me Ra had done a callout for parents and photographers to submit their photos for inclusion in the upcoming Your Child in Pictures book. Being a devout Me Ra follower, I submitted a few photos.

I was overly eager to share my photos of children with special needs for her section on photographing children with special needs.

I was BEYOND ecstatic when I received an email asking if I would share some tips on photographing children with special needs. Um…heck ya I was going to share!

When the book came last week, I was in tears reading my tips in black and white. Yes folks, some of my tips made it into the book!!!

Insert my happy dance that includes the running man AND the cabbage patch at the same time!

Once I stopped dancing, I turned a couple more pages to find myself in tears as I stared at one of my photos staring right back at me.

And right beside it was my name…twice…in black and white…in a book…authored by a best selling author…whom I web stalk on a regular basis…

I am so honored and proud to have been a part of this chapter in this book.

I sat there reading it with tear-filled eyes.

As I read it in its entirety, I no longer cried from excitement of being included.

I was crying because Me Ra thought to include a topic that so few photography books discuss – photographing your child with special needs.

She was bringing it to light. THANK YOU ME RA!

It was a topic I had discussed multiple times with parents that were desperate to have at least one photo of their child showing their personality, looking at the camera, or participating in a family photo session.

This chapter breaks it down to make it a stress-free experience for both parents and children.

Not only do I think this book is a must-have for parents of children with special needs, but it is a great book to have on hand for parents of children between the ages of 2 and 10.

For most parents, after about 3 years old, you find yourself slowing down on photographing your child. Many times, they no longer want you chasing them around taking pictures at every event.

This book provides ideas for photographing your child throughout their many stages of life.

Because I think this is a “MUST HAVE”, I want to gift one of our readers with their own copy of Your Child in Pictures!

Use the Rafflecopter entry form below to enter! Good luck!

The giveaway starts today and ends on Monday, 10/14.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When People Stare… (Down Syndrome Awareness Month)

I see the stares.

It comes from both adults and children.

They used to bother me.

A lot.

Sometimes, they still do.

When someone starts staring too long, I often say “hi” to break their stare.

For many, they stop staring and walk away.

For some, it is like they had been waiting for an invitation to approach us.

For those that stare without saying a word, I know you’re curious. I was curious before, too.

When he speaks, you might not understand him. Most of the time, we do, but sometimes it is difficult for us (his parents) to comprehend his words.

He wears glasses when many of your friends his age probably aren’t wearing glasses. That’s not his fault. He inherited that from both his parents.

He has an unbalanced sway in his walk. Most with swagger do. ;)

He doesn’t always look you in the eye when he’s talking to you. Don’t mistake this as a sign of not being confident.

He walks a little slower. That’s because he is curious about his surroundings and often appreciates the things that I too quickly walk by and don’t notice. He is my reminder to slow down and enjoy moments.

If you are curious, don’t be scared to ask me questions. I don’t mind.  I would rather you know about him instead of form your own conclusion about him.

He’s kind of an awesome kid.  I don’t want you missing out on that.

For those that accept our invitation to talk to us, thank you.

Most of the time, you have a family member with Down syndrome and cannot wait to tell us about him/her. We LOVE that!

Sometimes, you are an educator with a heart for children with special needs. We adore you!

Sometimes, you are just someone that wants to talk to Cody and pamper him with smiles. You…especially you…THANK YOU!

Down Syndrome Misconceptions–Changing MY Perception

When I look back to the moment we found out about Cody’s diagnosis, I feel ashamed of my reaction.

I wish I was more educated about Down Syndrome back then.

I know my reaction would have been completely different.

Truth is, I can count on both hands the interactions I had with individuals with Down syndrome while growing up. Children with special needs were not given the opportunity to participate in the school activities like they do now.

It was my ignorance about Down syndrome that led me to the momentary sadness of a Down syndrome diagnosis.

If I knew then what I knew now, I know my reaction would have been different. Completely different.

Daddy holding Cody for the first time. It was such a heart filling experience to hear him cry for the first time. Because of his Tetralogy of Fallot, the doctors were concerned that he would not be able to breathe and would have to go directly to surgery. He was a fighter from the beginning and didn’t need surgery until months later.

All I knew back then were the "stereotypes” of individuals with Down syndrome.

Seven years into this parenthood journey and I can stomp on those stereotypes. Honestly, if I could go back in time and slap myself for believing these stereotypes, I would! It would be like the scene from the movie Airplane (disclaimer: if you were born in the 80’s or later, you will likely not understand that reference).

Here are some stereotypes that I want to help break:

All individuals with Down syndrome look alike

Though there are some characteristics that are common among individuals with Down syndrome, that does not mean they will all look alike.

When Cody was born, my own OB/GYN questioned if he had Down syndrome. The markers were there, but he wasn’t sure. He had the single crease across his palm, but so did my doctor and he was sure to show me. Cody had narrow eyes, but come on, he is 1/4 Korean so we knew that was going to happen anyway. :)

So even if there are common features, individuals with Down syndrome will not always look the same. I have yet to meet a child that looks just like Cody. Most people tell me he looks like his brother. A more fair skinned, freckle-free, lighter haired version of his brother. ;)

Kids with Down syndrome are always so happy

Let me be the person to BASH this stereotype to the ground. If you would like to show up at my house at 7 am when it is time to wake Cody up, you will find that this whole “always happy” thing is not true!

Children are children. They are happy when they want to be. They are angry when they want to be.

Cody expresses EVERY emotion there is. From happy to cross-armed unhappiness, he can express it.

Kids with Down syndrome are stubborn

Cody can be stubborn, BUT no more stubborn than his “typical” 10 year old brother.

He likely inherited the stubborn gene from me…or his father…I think we can blame both of us middle children for that.

Individuals with Down syndrome will never learn in school

This was one of the stereotypes that concerned me the most. This was the stereotype that broke my heart. I didn’t think I was equipped to be able to educate a child that society perceived to be unteachable.

Cody has done nothing but prove this stereotype wrong. He continues to amaze me with his knowledge and how quickly he can learn. We have been working on new site words and for most, he can learn them in a matter of 30 minutes. He amazes me.

Some things come harder for him (like writing), but he tries and he is learning.

He has endless potential.

Your life will be dedicated to caring for your child with Down syndrome. They will never be able to take care of themselves.

This was the #1 stereotyped that I worried about. Who was to take care of him if something were to happen to his dad or I? How would he function? 

Since the moment he was born, Cody has been independent. MUCH more independent than his “typical” brother was.

Your child will learn what you teach them.

Though there are times that we want to cater to our children’s every need, we don’t. Independence and responsibility needs to be taught.

I watch him struggle sometimes when he tries to learn a new task (buttoning snaps is a current one), BUT I have to let him learn. He will be the first to tell me “stop, let me do it” and I have to listen. I don’t always want to, but I owe it to him to listen.

I have to give him the opportunity to learn how to take care of himself. I have to give him the independence to be confident in his decisions.

I have no doubt that Cody will grow up to be an independent adult. I have no doubt that he will want to move out when he is an adult to have a life of his own. A life where mom isn’t telling him to put a jacket on because it’s cold.  A life that will involve friends going clubbing. A life where I won’t be invited (ya, queue those violins for me).

He’ll be fine.

I know he will.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month | Free Session

This entire month is dedicated to building awareness for Down syndrome!  I am dedicating this month to sharing our experiences these last 7 years. :)

As a mom of a child with Down syndrome, I know how difficult it can sometimes be to 1) get a great photograph of your child and 2) find a photographer that your child can trust and feel comfortable with.

To me, it is important that families have photos of their children. They grow so fast and moments slip away from us.

Photographs help us preserve not only their age, but their personality.

Throughout the month of October, I am offering free portrait sessions to individuals with Down syndrome!

The session will include:

• A 30 minute session for the individual with Down syndrome at a Solano county location of your choice
• A complimentary 8x10 print of your favorite photo
• 25% off you additional print and/or CD order

Weekday and weekend sessions are available! Please contact me at MRS@MRS-Photography.com to schedule your session!

Happy 7th Birthday Cody | Presidio Park, San Diego

It is hard to believe my baby is turning 7 on Saturday. SEVEN! Where did the time go?

We headed out to Presidio Park on Sunday for his photo session.

Suited in his Buzz Lightyear birthday shirt, he was ready for his session!

This picture just about sums up who Cody is. That smile is a constant throughout the day and when he flashes that smile, it is hard to say no to anything he asks for!

Looking modelesque wouldn’t you say?

My boy is a ham. He loves to make people laugh and he loves the attention. Gosh I love this little dude!

Right about here he kept asking if we were done yet. This is a courtesy smile at its finest.

This is the “she isn’t stopping taking pictures, is she? I’m just not going to look at her” look.

Big brother jumped in for a picture of his brother, too.

I love that pretty much every session since the Cody was 1, I have a photo just like this – their arms around each other and Cody looking at DJ with such admiration and love.

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I wish you the happiest of birthdays my baby boy! You are a ray of sunshine!