I didn't grow up with much holiday tradition, so every holiday I feel like I'm winging it a bit. I often feel uncertain about my decisions. Always wondering if I am doing this right or that right. For example, Adelaide's first Easter we got a visit from the Easter Beagle, and the Beagle has visited us every year ever since. Not the Easter Bunny (we're huge Snoopy and Charlie Brown fans). It can get a bit complicated when it comes to other parents and children. My kids always explain that the Beagle is the Bunny's friend and they work together, so a few kids get the Beagle, like us. (Clearly I didn't think that one through very well did I?) When my kids grew old enough, we added decorating eggs to our traditions. I honestly don't ever remember decorating eggs as a child. Since I didn't have a traditional way, I google searched how to do it. There were so many ideas. How was I to pick? The first few years we went all natural. That's so up my alley! They turned out quite lovely. Then we played with textures, using lace, wool, rice, and spaghetti, which was okay but not awesome. So this year I still wanted to play with textures but I really wanted vibrant colours! I think Adelaide and Audrey did a great job! This was my favourite attempt at decorating eggs so far.

PS: (Referring to the links in this post), I'm always striving to get better and to grow as an artist so it's quite neat when I visit my old work. Such a difference. Always makes me wonder where I'll be a few years from now!

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{birth story}

Even though birth, in general, is predictable, it's very unpredictable on an individual level. As a birth photographer I never know how long I will be when I head to a labouring mama. On average, I'm gone 14 hours. Sometimes 6, and sometimes 26! When I arrived at the birth of Sage it was 10pm. These two were calm yet eager yet patiently going through the motions as baby was slowly making her way down. Things were moving along nicely. This totally supported Mama laboured at home for a while before we made the move to the hospital. She wanted to make the transition before she got further along because as many mama's know, the car ride isn't so pleasant when you're in labour. It's very normal for things to slow down or even stall after a transfer, but she was deep in labour that things really didn't slow down too much. Things were going so well and she was embracing every contraction as they came. She was doing everything in her power to help baby down. But after the sun came up, exhaustion hit. Things slowed down. Rest is very helpful and can become quite vital at this point, and sometimes that's when epidural is recommended. After she was connected, she napped. Her partner napped. I napped. The midwives napped. We met back in the room a few hours later and found there wasn't much progress. But this mama was determined. She wasn't done. Her baby wasn't done. Her partner was the best supporter. So they sailed on. She laboured through a whole other day. Sometimes, you can do everything in your power and things just won't progress. Baby just gets stuck. And when heart rates start dropping, baby needs to come. So they made the very emotional decision to have a c-section before it turned in to an emergency. Their midwives stayed by their side and helped them with a gentle c-section so when Sage was born she was passed to her mama from under the surgical curtain! It was unbelievably emotional. My words don't really do this birth story justice. It was definitely a birth I will never forget. And I am so grateful to be sharing their story with you today. Just look at these images below and of course watch the birth documentary at the bottom of this post. You'll probably cry.