Corey Williams - Chapel Hill Baby Child Family Photographer,

I have a new blog!

2011-07-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Ya'll! I have a new blog.

From now on, you can find out what's going on with me at:

www.coreywilliamsblog.com

See you there!

Beautiful Trinity - Maternity Photography - Corey Williams Chapel Hill Durham Portrait Photographer

2011-06-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's baby season! It seems like just about everyone in my world is about to pop! My dear, dear friend Trinity asked me to photograph her this week and what a blessing it was. She's so beautiful always, and she was just radiant for our session. Just a few weeks, and I'll be photographing her precious one - one the outside. (Psssttt - I think it's a boy!).

V's Sweet Baby C - Baby Photographer Chapel Hill NC

2011-05-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I went over to see V, a sweet friend that has helped me on a couple of different fundraisers for Kidzu Children's Museum. She just had her first baby, C, a few months before the gala. He's now about six weeks old and what a precious cutie.

There was something about spending time with them that felt very real, very present. The immediacy of a baby's needs made me really feel the weight of each moment in a way I haven't in a while.

And then there was V, so patient, so calm. So much calmer than I was as a first time mom. It was lovely. I hope the photos do them justice.

Baby R - Chapel Hill Durham Baby Photographer - Corey Williams

2011-05-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, today I went out with little Baby R to Corker Arboretum. What a wonderful age! He's just under a year, not quite pulling up yet, but he was all smiles this afternoon. He just loved playing in the water. I'll be photographing the whole family soon, but it was such fun to have this one on one time with him.

My Friend Danielle's Big Shindig

2011-05-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you have something that you really, really should have done a long time ago. This is one of them. My dear friend, Danielle Anthony, asked me to photograph her post-wedding party as a favor. She's an amazing photographer and I was so honored that she asked and I was thrilled to do it. Then the holidays happened, spring sprang, and I still hadn't edited her images. She came to visit to me today - pregnant with her first little one - and I realized just how long it's taken me to get these to her. So, in the spirit of better late than never - here's the love that's created the bun in the oven!!!! Congrats you guys! Love you!

Day 365 Project - Who Knows What Day - Not Me?

2011-03-17T20:02:00.003-07:00

I've been keeping up with my daily photos (mostly) but really letting my posts slide. There's some serious catchup to be done, but I'm pretty heavily involved in getting Kidzu Children's Museum's first gala off the ground. More on that later.

We just got back from the Bahamas and I have a ton of photos to post. But these two, I just couldn't wait on. There's just something about seeing him discover the fish in the aquarium at Atlantis. Everything is still magic for this guy - making it magic for me all over again.

Atlantis

2011-03-17T20:02:00.001-07:00

365 Project - Tub Time

2011-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

I'm on my own for bath time fairly often these days. And I have to admit that I take a collective approach to things like bathing. Line them up, soap them down, rinse them off. Repeat as necessary. But no matter how business like I'm being, they make sure to have some fun in there. Baby C is playing cars along the tub edge. B is being, well, B. And the WG is my helpful sweetness, as ever. Even when I'm exhausted, frustrated and behind schedule I try to take a minute to just watch and enjoy them. Funny little things that they are.

Day 38 of the 365 Project

2011-02-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm skipping around a bit. But I can't help posting these pics. This is the 365 project at it's best. I would NEVER have been lugging my big camera and long lens through my daughter's school without this project. I have to admit the MacDaddy 70-200 2.8 gets lots of attention so I tend to use my wide lens for my personal stuff. But boy was I glad I had it this day.

The WG loves her "all girls chess club." They have an absolutely amazing teacher and he has them on fire for chess. She's playing online chess at home and I'm surprised by how well she knows the rules. Her teacher tells me that she's ready for her first tournament.

Since I had my long lens, I was able to capture just how animated she is when she is playing, without being in her space or distracting her. What fun to see all those expressions on her face! I just love it!

365 Day Project - Catching Up

2011-02-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

The good news is that I've been busy. The bad news is that I've been too busy to blog. In fact, today saw me waking at 4am to retouch the last of the images from my Valentines shoots, lay out and order four mini books, place 4 client print orders, and two committee meetings for a Kidzu Children's Museum fundraiser. I am tired. But, because I promised myself I had to catch up, here goes. The past few days of the 365 project. I realize I'm still missing some January posts, but I've shot every day sans one, so I'll get back to those shortly.

Here are some favs from the past few days.

Day 30, What happens when I ask my kids to "jump" into the car.

Day 31, The WG clowning around with her best neighborhood buddy.

Day 32, What happens when we make pudding and Baby C decides to feed himself.

Day 33 & 34 were my Very Sexy Photo Event. A post on that is coming soon! As you can imagine, there are model releases required. Wink! Wink!

Day 35, My kiddos school presentation, featuring Mr. Murray on Xylaphone, WG doing animated arms, and Mrs. Pause doing what she does best. What an adorable show!

Day 36, After a night at Gigis, we take the kids down town for lunch and Krispe Kreme. The WG wanted Ben and Jerry's so that left the boys for doughnuts. And the light was on. Yummy!

Day 37, The Chase

This is my favorite series of the 563 shoot thus far. That's because this is what my kids always do. They run around the house in their jammies. When it's good, they are laughing and playing. When it's bad, they're really chasing one another. But, this morning, it was all fun, games and laughter. And my camera was right by my side!

Vitoria's Pin-Up Shoot

2011-02-03T15:19:00.001-08:00

So, it's time to say farewell to my very first au-pair, Vitoria Prochet. She came for a holiday visit that lasted a month (yea!!!!) and we've been having a blast. Luckily, her visit coincided with my Very Sexy Portrait Event at the Franklin Hotel. She told me she'd always wanted to do a retro-style pin-up shoot. And so, she came as we were setting up and I did a quick shoot with her. It was a blast. Here are some of my favorite shots of the day!!!!

Day 21 of the 365 Project

2011-01-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

So, at the very last minute, a friend and I decided to go on a quick trip to Chicago. We stayed in another friend's house and I fell in love with a tree in her back yard. Love, love, love it. Of course, it was actually as cold as hell frozen over when I went outside to take this photo, but it was worth it.

Day 20 of the 365 Project

2011-01-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

My friend, Nickie, just handed down a super cool fire truck bed to baby C. It's been in the friend circle for a while (thanks Christina!!!!) and my baby is the lucky new recipient. But I have to say, his sibs are jealous. Even WG said, "Mom, I would like a bed like this." Really? A seven year old girl wants a fire truck bed. Well, it is cool. If only I could squish Mel in there....

Day 19 of the 365 Project

2011-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

So, when you're a third baby, you learn that you need to occupy yourself. Sad, but true. As much as I love and love cuddling Baby C, he entertains himself while I check homework, pack lunches, read stories...you get the idea.

And usually, when Baby C is entertaining himself their are wheels involved. In fact, he reminds me of my best friend's oldest - they both were crazy for ANYTHING with wheels. He loves to spin them, push them along an edge, and especially push them down a ramp. That makes this Matchbox toy his favorite Christmas gift.

I took the opportunity with my backdrop still up to pop him there (too small clothes and all) with his little Matchbox garage. So fun!

Day 18 of the 365 Project

2011-01-30T20:49:00.001-08:00

So, Day 18 was my in-studio Valentine's event. As we set up, we encouraged - okay, paid a dollar - to get Mr. B to stand in as our model as we tested our lighting. It was super fun! I love these shots of him with our "LOVE" prop.

Day 17 of the 365 Project

2011-01-30T20:45:00.000-08:00

I spent the day 17 of the 365 project photographing the United Way's day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday. It was held at my church, Christ Church in Southern Village, and there were TONS of people who turned out to volunteer. Young and old, black and white, and everything in between. It was inspiring. Here are some of my favorite photos of the day.

Day 16: Boys on Swings

2011-01-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

C's first time on a big-boy swing. He loved it, but looked nervous the whole time.

And my favorite shot of B in a while. He's as michevious as he is yummy!

Day 15 of the 365 Project: Breakfast Chez Williams

2011-01-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about this project so far is the experimentation. On day 15, I picked up my camera during an ordinary breakfast of french toast and berries. And I decided to leave my flash off! Wacky, I know. The light was seriously low and I had to shoot on 4000 ISO, which gave me lots of grain. But I kind of love it. Somehow, it fits the mood of breakfast in your PJs.

Day 14 of the 365 Day Project: The Playdate

2011-01-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

So, on day 14, we brought WG's best buddy home with us. They've known one another for a very, very long time (since before their first birthdays) and they call each other "forever friends." It's pretty sweet how they've managed to stay close despite being in different classes, neighborhoods and having different friends. I love this guy too - and he gave me about 3000 different looks to try to keep me from taking his picture. Like that was going to work.

I was a little worried about how the playdate would go, because WG has a neighborhood best friend too. She's just down the street from us and the two play together every afternoon. But they had no problem playing with S, and they even pretended to lay a smooch on him. Super funny!

A Very Sexy Portrait Event

2011-01-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day

Corey Williams Photography invites you to

A Very Sexy Portrait Event

February 1, 2011

The Franklin Hotel

Chapel Hill

Sessions from 9am to 9pm

Imagine yourself at your most beautiful. Your sexiest.

Relax and sip champagne as award winning makeup artist and stylist Jami Svay

pampers you and makes you look your very best. Then, relax as Corey Williams

creates beautiful portraits of you at your sexiest.

It's a Valentine's Gift he won't soon forget.

Your session includes:

Hair and makeup styling with Jami Svay (www.jamisvay.com)

Champagne

A portrait session with Corey Williams

Professional retouching of your images

A 5x5 book of your favorite images

To book your session call Corey at 919.810.6700 or

email coreywilliams@nc.rr.com.

Day 13 of the 365 Project

2011-01-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

So, after the national championship game, I took a few days off from everything. Getting back was a nightmare - delayed planes, snow, ice, de-icing, fuel issues - you name it. And on day 12, I rested. That means, my 365 project will be short a few days. I've decided that when I miss a day, I'll do penance - by editing something previously untouched from last year.

But when I picked the camera up again on the 13th day, it felt good. There's something about shooting that frees me from thinking. I shoot very instinctively and it always, always feels good.

So, I hung out with B and Baby C in the playroom much of the day. It was great great fun.

Day 9 & 10 of the 365 Project - The National Championship Game

2011-01-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

My brothers, their friend Marcus, and my dad joined me in Phoenix late on Saturday night. They wanted to hit the grand canyon on Sunday, but I talked them out of it (plus, they Mapquested and realized it is eight hours round trip) and instead we hit the Budlight Tailgate in the Southport area. It was a beautiful day and we arrived in with enough time; the party filled up quickly and people started gathering on the adjacent parking deck to see the stage! We gnoshed on PF Changs, drank margaritas, listened to the band, and got to hear Mr. Penny speak! It was great fun!

On game day, Mel and I headed down to the stadium area pretty early - about 10. Even that early, people were beginning to settle in to tables in the choice locations. We settled for a couple of couches at The Yard House. It was the perfect place to hang out with old friends and new while we waited for kickoff.

It was a great, great game. If you missed it, you have to YouTube Michael Dyer's amazing run. His knee doesn't touch the ground, the play isn't whistled dead but no one on the field realizes it for a moment. My absolute favorite!!! A heads up play on Dyer's part!

All I can say is War Eagle!

Day 7 & 8 of the 365 Project - Phoenix Bound

2011-01-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know me well, I grew up in Auburn, Alabama. In many ways, it's a lot like Chapel Hill. Small southern town dominated by a large university. The big difference - football! So when Auburn made the national championship my husband, sports fan that he is, gave the go ahead for us to go. It was a blast. And one of the best parts is that I went out two days early. I spent the first day flying out, having a light dinner with other fans in our hotel's club room, then watching Sex in the City 2 on in-room entertainment. For a mom of three, getting to just relax and stay in was such a blessing. I spent the evening watching the sunset. There's just something about the sky out there that captures my imagination. It's so expansive and full of possibilities.

The next morning, I headed across town to the new JW Marriot Spa at Desert Ridge. What a beautiful spa!!! After a three mile run and some stretching I had the most fabulous hot stone massage. Maybe the best massage of my life. Next, it was off for an orange (WAR EAGLE!) mani-pedi. Finally, lunch by the pool in my spa robe (miso marinated black cod - yum!), some reading next to the fire and then off to the Jacuzzi. Which is where I met these girls.

They were celebrating a birthday and were hitting the spa and the town! They were so funny and so clearly enjoying one another. Made me miss my friends a bit! But I enjoyed capturing their antics. Ladies, if you're even in Chapel Hill, look me up. I know you'd be fun to go out with. Sorry I missed you that night.

I really loved Phoenix. It's definitely a place I can see coming back to. It would be a terrific place to do portraits. All that sky as a backdrop...makes a photographer's heart flutter.

Day 6 of the 365 Project - My Helpful Loving Girl

2011-01-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

So, I have to admit there's a downside to being the child of a portrait photographer. You're a built in subject. Yesterday, the WG went shopping for props with me. Today, she skipped swim team (okay, she wasn't bummed about that) to model for me. I needed to put together some promo images for a Valentines shoot I'm doing with Danielle Anthony, and she was willing. Oh yeah, and I paid her $10. But it was worth it. Got some great shots for my 365 project and for my Valentine's marketing. Oh how I love multi tasking. Tomorrow, it's off to Arizona with my brother and dad to watch Auburn play in the national championship game. So my kids will get a break, and I'll turn my lens on the tigers, their fans, and my extended family. Warrrrrr Eaggglleeeee!!!!! Here are the shots that we didn't use....

Day 5 of the 365 Day Project - The Chase

2011-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

So, while I'm cooking dinner yesterday, the kids, Vitoria (now known as grand au pair) and Gabi all played a pretty rockin' game of chase. And as chase usually does, it ended in a game of tickle monster. As usual, Vitoria lost.

Valentine's Day Mini Sessions - Corey Williams Portrait Baby and Child Photographer

2011-01-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

Be the talk of the class with personalized photo valentine cards!

Join us at Corey William's home studio for a fun, whimsical mini-shoot just in time for valentines day. We're building custom backdrops and will have some fun props, so bring your child's favorite costume or just their adorable selves to star in their own, personalized valentines card!

A Valentine's Mini-Portrait Session Event!

Tuesday, January 18th

Sessions on the hour and half hour

9 am until 6 pm
201 Montclair Way

Chapel Hill

Mini-Session Includes:

30 minute shoot with your choice of Corey Williams or Danielle Anthony

1 edited XOXO greeting for your facebook profile or blog

And 20 cards for your child's classroom distribution.

Additional cards available per card.

(cards may be drilled with a whole for tying to packages for a small charge)

$100 for the first child (1 30 minute shoot and 1 set of 20 cards)

$150 for two children (2 30 minute shoots and 2 sets of 20 cards)

$185 for three (3 30 minute shoots and 3 sets of 20 cards)

To Book Your Session with either Danielle or Corey:

Email Danielle Anthony at danielle@danielleanthony.com

Day 4 of the 365 Project. A Speedy Recovery

2011-01-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

It's amazing. Just like that, the virus is gone. B woke up screaming for food. "Mommmmm!!!! Get me filled." "What?" "I'm hungry! Get my belly filled."

By the end of the day, he was full strength. And my house re-organization was gaining momentum. At this point, I'm finished with the kids rooms, the playroom (although that needs to be organized about once a week) and I've moved on to the kitchen and downstairs. Here's Mr. B showing off his new and improved digs!

365 Project - Day 3. The Sickies

2011-01-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

Everything was going just fine. Baby C was sleeping. B was watching TV and I was tidying up around the house and catching up on emails. B didn't want his picture taken, but all else was quiet.

Then, just about the time I was supposed to pick WG up from chess, B looked at me and said, "Momma, I'm going to throw up." And boy was he right. It was epic. I'll spare you the photo.

When there was a break in the - ahem - production, I woke the sleeping baby and put B (and his bucket) into the car and we raced off to school to pick up WG.

B headed to my bed to watch TV and WG had an after school snack, did her homework (because I'm evil) and then had to tidy the playroom before she could go outside (also because I'm evil).

And that, ladies and gentlemen is why I have such LOVELY photos of day 3 of the 365 project. Will I fare better on day 4? You'll have to tune in to find out.

The Paine Family - Chapel Hill Child and Family Portrait Photography

2011-01-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

So, now that the Christmas rush is over I can finally blog some of my favorite sessions from last year. I thought I'd start with a session that was ALL boy. I had so much fun with these two guys. At first, they didn't know what to do with me, but once we hit the park and the trails, they really started to ham it up and show me who they are. It was a great day. And I love their Christmas card. One of my favorites this year!

They were my first client to use the new die cut Luxe cards I offered this Christmas. They were such fun! I just love the shape!

365 Project - Day 2. Arm Wrestling - Chapel Hill Baby and Child Photographer

2011-01-02T20:54:00.001-08:00

So, I'm starting to get a feel for the way the 365 project may go. I picked up my camera a few times today when I wouldn't ordinarily. One moment where the kids were playing outside. Another when Mel was taking the Christmas tree out of the house. But there was another moment, during a completely ordinary dinner of leftovers that was just so much fun it was clearly today's capture. Here's the backstory: A few days ago one of Mel's friends, Rob, was visiting and taught Bennett to arm wrestle. And it's been the beginning of something in our house, clearly. Mel likes to let the kids win. I love to be the top dog at something for once. They actually try to beat one another, which is hilarious.

I'm hoping everyone gets used to me turning the camera on them all the time. Right now, they're still making faces at me, with an annoyed expression. But then again, it is only day 2.

2011! My New Year's To Do List

2011-01-01T19:18:00.001-08:00

The last week, I've spent taking some time off of work and, well, cleaning. Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. Man, my house was a wreck. In all that time spent straightening, dusting, vacuuming, I've had a lot of mental space to think. Maybe too much. Because I have about 45 new year's resolutions. So, rather than resolutions, I thought I'd make a list of the 11 things I'd like to accomplish in 2011. Here we go.

1. Take one photo of my children every day of 2011. Credit goes to Grethel Van Epps for convincing me that it can be done and it is worth doing. So, starting today, I threw my camera over my shoulder and made it a point to capture an everyday moment.

2. Complete a mini-triatholon.

I'm nobody's Tamara Lackey ;-), but I want to make working out a habit. That means you, Curtis Selby. I'm ready to get back to the gym and feel good about my body again. My mom has upped the ante. She wants to do the Ramblin Rose. And if she can do it, I should be able to too????

3. Get a tattoo.

Why not? My best friend did it this year. And like always, I'm late to the game. I just can't decide what I want. Maybe my kid's initials?

4. Photograph a wedding.

Okay, so those of you that remember me retiring as a wedding planner are scratching your heads, but hey, I miss it.

5. Create a blog worth reading.

I am the most hit and miss blogger on the planet. This year, that changes. I want to blog often. For me, if not for you.

6. Have dates with my kids.

The zone defense is taking it's toll on our relationships and I'm ready to play man to man again. I want to get to know my kids better, in their own space and time.

7. Go to a really amazing country concert.

Zac Brown anyone?

8. Get my house (and garage) organized.

Does anyone remember the trash heap from Fraggle Rock? I swear, the mess around here is minutes away from talking to me. Okay, it's not that bad. But I'd love to have organized closets that stay that way.

9. Read.

A book every couple of weeks. I'm willing to give up TV altogether, but I miss reading so much. And I love the payoff that comes at the end of a book. In 2011, I want to read more.

10. Spend more time with my husband.

He doesn't make it easy with his galavanting all over the globe, but I'd like to spend more time with my husband. So maybe, I'll pack my bags and head to India or Singapore with him.

11. Laugh more. I'm good at capturing amazing moments behind the lens, but sometimes that keeps me from experiencing them. I want to live in the moment more in 2011, to pause, relax and enjoy the wild ride going on in my work and family life.

So, that's it. What I'd like to do in 2011. I'll have to post at the end of the year next year and let you know how I did on all these. So, what do you want to do this year?

Pic of the Day - Saturday, September 18th

2010-09-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I snapped this as we were walking to the car after a long day. I had been shooting - my friend Daniele Anthony's reception and then Super Cooper's Race and Family Fun Day. Mel and the boys had been to the UNC v G. Tech game. And everyone was wiped. The light was beautiful and I love the way Baby C looked back at me over dad's shoulder.

Pic of the Day - Corey WIlliams - Chapel Hill Portrait Photographer - Babies, Kids, Seniors

2010-09-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Pic of the Day for Monday, September 13th. Can you tell what's going on in my life? Even after a dose of steroids, Baby C is still bummin' hard. So, it's back to the pediatrician for more. After last time's in-office dose, he's ready to make an escape.

Pic of the Day - Chapel Hill Baby & Family Portrait Photograph

2010-09-12T18:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Grandparents Day!

Pic of the Day - Chapel Hill Baby & Family Portrait Photograph

2010-09-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't do so well the first time I tried my thirty day project. I was sabotaged by croup. First, Mr. B got it. We woke with him gasping, turning blueish gray and freaking out. We went straight to the ER where he was admitted and kept until the next morning. Now, Baby C has croup. We've been taking him in and out of the shower (his isn't nearly as bad), but he's worked his way into a dose of steroids too. This is all to say, that I've been so obsessed with fundraisers, sick babies and birthday parties that I did not adhere to my plan. So here it is, take two.

Every day for the next 30 days, I'm going to take and post a new pic of one of my kiddos. Tonight, it's Baby C. Who is so miserable, due to croup. But - trooper that he is - he tried so hard to play today. Here he is, playing with a ball outside and looking up at me as I experiment with my new lens. (Thanks Ash!!!!!).

In Love With the River - Chapel Hill Baby, Child, Family Portrait Photographer

2010-09-11T18:50:00.001-07:00

My kids are in love. With the Eno River. Ever since our short frolic last Sunday, it's all they can talk about. "Mom, can we take Gigi to the river." "Mom, can I bring my friends to the river." I love it! Give them some bug spray, a net from the dollar store and a bathing suit and they're happy. I couldn't stop snapping away. So, here are more photos than you ever wanted to see of my kids frolicking in the river.

Pic of the Day - Corey WIlliams - Chapel Hill Portrait Photographer - Babies, Kids, Seniors

2010-09-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

There are three major problems with being the child of a portrait photographer.

#1. Your photographer parent experiments on you. This can mean that you're forced to try on/work with new props, stand in front of backdrops, try out new poses/stunts, etc. This work is not rewarding at best and dangerous (as it's untested) at worst.

#2: The camera is constantly turned on you. Determined not to miss moments when our own children are adorable, we take our cameras EVERYWHERE and drive our kids crazy with them. Sadly, this doesn't result in actually having finished portraits. See number three.

#3: You have very few portraits of yourself. Counterintuitive I know. But compared to when I was photographing as a hobby, I have scary few photos of my own children. It's not that I don't take them. It's that I rarely edit them and I never print them. I know, horrible. I plan to fix that.

That's where this blog post comes in. For the next 30 days, I'm resolving to turn my camera on my own children. I'll post one photo that captures them just doing what we do each day. Some of them may be less than spectacular, but they all have to be from that day! At the end of thirty days, they are going in a book. I'm serious this time. It's really going happy. I have the blogging universe to hold me to it.

Here's today's pic: Taken at the Eno River when we were celebrating Mr. B's fourth birthday. They kids had a blast playing in the creek. Can you believe they'd never done that?!?!?

Keeping Promises to Little People - Corey Williams, Child Baby Portrait Photographer - Chapel Hill, Durham, NC

2010-09-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

My middle son, Bennett, is obsessed with fairness. He has been since he was little. He wants to know why adults can drive cars, drink wine, and raise their voices. When he was little he didn't understand why his sister got to wear glittery things and go to school. And of extreme importance to Bennett is keeping promises. If you say that you will do something, Bennett wants - no needs - you to follow through. For him, the world order is upset and life doesn't make sense when adults don't keep their promises. And so I am very careful about what I promise. His reminder of all my birthday promises to him this morning brought me back to a promise to another little boy that I had not kept.

A few weeks ago, I photographed a little boy who came to our session straight from school. His favorite toy was clutched in his little hands. He didn't want to let it go. This toy was really important to him and he wanted it in the pictures. He, frankly, didn't understand why we didn't want it in the pictures. So, I agreed to take some photos with his toy - a transformer - in the photos and even some portraits of the transformer alone. But when I processed the images, I left them out, thinking that the parents don't really want a bunch of transformer images. But that's not fair - as Bennett would remind me. Those were promised to him. And so here I am, delivering on that promise. These are for you, Kai.

Dawn Williams, Pianist - Chapel Hill Portrait Photographer Corey Williams

2010-08-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

One of the things I love most about being a photographer is that I'm always doing something different. Today was a case in point.

My kid's terrific piano teacher, Dawn Williams, asked me to take some photos of her for an upcoming demo CD and her website. One thing led to another, and we had Jami Svvay involved, a terrific makeup artist and hairstylist involved in the project. Jami brought along Effie, our stylist, and suddenly, we're in business. The day went something like this.

Jami and Effie left Charlotte this morning at 3am. By 6:00am, Dawn was getting into hair and makeup. Shortly after, I rolled out of bed and put on my shooting pants (more on this in a later blog post). And headed for Dawn's house.

There she was, in fresh makeup, jeans and a sparkly tank and of course, I just want her to lay down in a ravine (read - ditch) and look (ahem) comfy. From there, we were shooting in neighbor's yards, an empty field next to a church (on a Sunday morning), in downtown Durham (with an audience of homeless guys), in the street and (wait for it) IN the Eno River. 9 CF cards, 44 gigs later, 8 and a half hours, and one pair of very wet shooting pants later, I was home. Exhausted, but very, very happy. I have LOTS of editing in front of me, but I can't believe how much fun I had.

So, here's a great big thank you to all the people that made today possible. Dawn's terrific friend Emily, who held the reflector in all kinds of uncomfortable positions, her husband who guarded the camera bag and laughed at us when we were sitting in the river. Jami, who banged some hair and makeup. Effie, who brought amazing clothes and boots that I'm still thinking about. And of course Dawn, who not only had the confidence to hire me - but the confidence in me to roll around in ravines, change clothes in a sheet in downtown Durham, and even lay on her belly in a river just because I told her it would look good on camera. Who could ask for a better model?

Here's a sneak peek of some of the things we did.

Mr. B is a Green Belt! Corey Williams Chapel Hill Baby Child Portrait Photographer

2010-08-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

My son, Bennett, is as lovely as he is challenging. I often remember things that my mother in law used to say about my husband as a child, and think about much they make me think of Bennett. And in many ways turning to Tae Kwon Do was about two things - keeping him engaged and teaching him some self discipline. My friend Trinity suggested Master Missial at Chapel Hill Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do and it was a wonderful, wonderful choice. He is terrific with young kids. He gets my child, who generally can't stop making explosion noises and jumping on me, to meditate. I mean, seriously, he's like the wild boy whisperer.

So, today, we took him to his very first belt test. Actually, now that I'm blogging about it, I realize that this may be the first time B really performed in front of a crowd. And it was great. I was so proud I thought my heart would explode. When he answered the question, "How long have you been taking Tae Kwon Do?" His answer, "A month." (The crowd giggled, which he loved). "What do you like about Tae Kwon Do?" His answer, was to dramatically assume the "body focus" position. More giggles. A smirk from B.

He did all his kicks. All his blocks. And he even broke his board. My little man. Not a baby anymore, a kid. A fun, big, wild, capable, learning, kid. I have a feeling it's going to be a wild, wild ride with this one.

Here is B posing with the WG and Gabi (who was so sweet to come on her day off at 9am!). It was a great, great morning!

My Baby Is Growing Up - Chapel Hill Baby & Child Photographer Corey Williams

2010-08-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

I find that my kids grow up in big leaps. Maybe that's not really how it happens. But that's how it feels to me. I feel like I blink, and all of a sudden, they understand irony, make adult jokes, and ask me if I "get" things.

I desperately want to give my children the gift of growing with my blessing. I want to cheer on their changes, their successes, their failures - each and every step. But it's a fight with my darker, truer nature. The part of me that wants to hide them away and keep them little, purely so they can be mine forever.

It's whenever I turn my lens on them that I see them as they really are. The way I see the other children I photograph. The other day, after my cousin Christi left, I photographed the WG. Her brother has been doing a fair amount of modeling lately, and with the permanent teeth in (gap and all) I thought we'd update the portfolio with her agent.

And there she was. Dancing and twirling on the backdrop. Looking right into my camera, with great intensity. So spunky, saucy and full of joyful play. She's a tween, though she's just seven, feeling out what it means to be a girl. She's an individual, full of giggles and bright dancing eyes.

I love her so, so much. More, in fact, every day.

Corey Cooks! My Bananas Foster Cupcakes

2010-08-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

So in addition to photography and planning parties, I love to cook. Thanks to my BFF, my husband, and Le Cruset, I've been working on Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. But for years I've been a subscriber to Cook's Illustrated, Gourmet and Bon Apetit. It's taken me a long time to get comfortable just "riffing" in the kitchen, but I am really loving improvising. Take the other day....

It was a weekend afternoon and I wanted to make cupcakes for my kids and the neighborhood kids that were over. I started with a cake mix (which I love to do for kids cupcakes) and started doctoring it up when I realized, I had no eggs. No problemo! I substituted two ripe bananas (a vegan baking trick) and my bananas foster cupcakes were born. I've monkeyed with the recipe since then to get it just right, but I'm pretty happy with it. They always disappear in just a few hours. Let me know what you think.

1 package yellow cake mix

3 heaping tablespoons instant bannana pudding mix

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/4 cups of milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

Makes about 20-22 cupcakes.

Preheat your oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

Combine cake mix, pudding, banans, milk, oil and vanilla in mixer on low until ingredients are well mixed - about 2 minutes. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mixture into lined muffin tin. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. While cupcakes are still warm, make frosting.

Quick Set Drunken Carmel Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk or cream

1 tsp rum (or vanilla, for the kids)

Melt butter and brown sugar over medium high heat in a large saucepan, stirring to prevent the mixture from burning. Once mixture comes to a boil, add the milk. Return the mixture to a boil. Whisk in powdered sugar and rum. Remove from heat. Immediately dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing mixture and place on cake server. Icing will harden slightly. Serve immediately or keep up to a week at room temperature.

Cousin Christi is a Beauty Queen!

2010-08-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

So my cousin, Christi Lee, has been selected to compete in the Miss Georgia USA pageant! I'm so, so excited! She came down today so we could take some headshots and brought her BFF, Marc, with her. We had a blast, styling hair (and using some fake hair), setting up backdrops and romping around Chapel Hill shooting. Here's the shot we ended up with.

And here's Christi and Marc Wiley cutting up after we finished! It was a blast.

Stay tuned for my photos of the pageant - November 18th and 19th!

Super Mario Brothers Nintendo Cupcakes

2010-08-04T22:05:00.001-07:00

Super Mario Brothers Nintendo Cupcakes, originally uploaded by clevercupcakes.

I'm working on Bennett's fourth birthday party. And it seems that he's stumped me again with his theme. He wants a video game party at Frankie's. Now, how am I supposed to make that cute and non-commercial? I guess I'm not. I'm going to do what the boy wants. I found these cupcakes though. Think I may make something like this for him.

Father's Day Mini Sessions - Chapel Hill Portrait Baby Photographer

2010-06-03T18:25:00.001-07:00

Mini Portrait Sessions just in time for Father's Day

June 14, 2010
Duke Gardens

$150
20 Minute session includes 2 8x10s or 8x8s of your choice
(You must choose your images by noon on Wed, June 16 to have them by Friday, June 18)

Only 8 sessions available!
Email or call me now to book your session.

www.coreywilliams.com
coreywilliams@nc.rr.com
201 Montclair Way, Chapel Hill 27516
919-810-6700

Crazy Carmen & Jamar - And the Best Wedding Ever

2010-05-24T18:31:00.001-07:00

So, my cousin Carmen is, well, crazy. She may be the funniest person I know. She definitely has the best laugh. (Followed closely by my husbands wild cackle and my friend Jen's deep giggle. Both amazing!)

Her wedding was seriously, one of the most amazing events I've ever been to - and I used to plan wedding for a living.

Here's why:

1. My girl had a serious theme. She's a HUGE UGA fan. She even considered a tailgate, stadium-side wedding. And though she got married at an Atlanta hotel, she brought the tailgate right to us. The centerpieces featured little UGA helmets. The table cards were photos of the scoreboard (all games that UGA won) and were named for the opposing team. The seating cards were tickets. The aisle runner was astroturf with yard lines. The bar was under a UGA tent. It was serious.

2. She came ready to have fun. When the bride is ready to have rockin' party, everyone is ready to have a rockin' party. And Carmen has a way of making friends with everyone! Rich, poor, black, white, (and yes, some black and white) fat, skinny, gay, straight, you name it. If you like UGA football, you're good. If you like a good party, you're good. If you're family, well, you were still invited.

3. She played a HUGE mix of music. Journey. Usher. Curtis Blow. Some hip hop so new that this mom of three doesn't know it. Etta James. It was all there, and it got everyone on the dance floor.

So here are a few of my favorite pics from that awesome night. Congrats, Nikki! Love you and Jamar!

Seven Year Old - Chapel Hill Photographer Corey Williams

2010-05-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but my WG is really seven. Seven. She's all missing teeth, sassy voice, frizzy hair, romping in the backyard big kidness now. I can't believe that my baby is gone. But for all of the things that I'll miss about her babyhood and even her little girlness, I really like the person that she's becoming. She feisty, but loving. She's fiercely loyal, but able to back down when she needs to. She's a fashionista that's not afraid to sweat and play "boy games." She's all rock and roll spunkiness. And I just love her to death. Here she is as we walked through the parking lot at the Chapel Hill mall. She was in regular clothes, her hair was a mess and she looked....well....perfect.

It's a Rubber Ducky Birthday!

2010-04-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

My baby has just turned one and this weekend we celebrated with about 50 friends and family members (30 kids!) in our backyard. I love big first birthday parties. I think it's because the first year is so tough for me, I really love to celebrate it. Plus, I love that adorable baby stuff. WG, my first, had a butterfly theme. Mr. B, my second, had a Bee theme. And Cagey had a ducky theme. I just loved it. There were rubber ducks everywhere. We had a quacking contest, a pinata, balls for the babies to play in (and the big boys to toss), blank (white) rubber ducks to decorate, a soap toss contest, and a whole lot of fun. Many, many thanks to Pam Gustafson at Balloonmasters, who did an awesome job on the balloons. And can you believe it?!?!? I made the cake and cupcakes! I molded the little ducky chocolates (all but the one on top) and did the whole thing! I also made the quilt, all the little food signs, the feather topped favor bags, the quilt for the babies. It was a busy few weeks, but I was so, so happy with how everything turned out. If you love it and want it, check ebay! I'm selling all my extra supplies in one huge lot (there are four boxes of ducky things left. You could definitely do a small ducky party with all the stuff in there!)

We Bowl! Corey Williams - Baby Child Photographer - Chapel Hill

2010-01-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

Every now and then we do something so fun, that I want to do it again right away. And last weekend, we went bowling. WG has been asking to do it forever. Mel takes her through the parking lot of a bowling alley on their secret way to school. So, it's a regular request. What I didn't realize is how much we would all like it. We had a blast, and I learned a lot too!

Here's what I learned.

1. My mom hasn't been bowling in at least 15 years. She didn't know they had electronic scoring.

2. For WG, there's nothing better than beating your parents at something. If there's a big scoreboard...well...that's just a bonus.

3. Those little contraptions that look like walkers really help little kids bowl. Wow, the kids bowled in the 150s.

4. Apparently, there's no bowling in Brazil. Sorry, Feffie. And if there is, it's a lot like pool. And they use gutter guards like the sides of the table.

Here are some of the highlights

Stuck in Bed - Time to Think About a Party!

2010-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

So, I've come back from a rockin' New Year's in Chicago, only to catch the stomach bug that my kids are getting over. It's just been a day, but spending a day in bed makes me crazy. What to do? Plan Cage's first birthday party of course. Okay, okay, so it's still three months away but it takes me a while to get ready for a first birthday. They are my favorite! Absolutely no input from the little ones! It's all about cute stuff!

For Mr. C, I'm leaning toward a Rubber Duckie theme. I found some sweet inspiration online. An Aussie-based stationary design/mom Alannah Rose. So, I can't put him in a tutu, but I'm considering using her gorgeous invites, even though they are - gasp - fill in the blank! Check her out at http://www.alannahrose.com.au/blog/2009/07/quack-quack-little-duck-birthday-theme

I was also inspired by this gorgeous "story board" pulled together by Nounces Designs. I think I'm leaning toward the blue since Mr. C is a boy, but I may have to pull in some bright orange for yummy contrast with the blue... We'll see! Stay tuned!

Chapel Hill photographer Corey Williams - baby/child photographer

Baby Grace - 3 Months Old - Chapel Hill, NC Baby Child Photographer Corey Williams

2009-12-15T22:07:00.001-08:00

The only thing better than being hired by a friend, is being hired by a friend with a super cute baby. My long time friend, Alyssa, just had her first baby and today I not only got to meet her, I got to photograph her. I must admit, I was in disbelief when her mom told me how she wanted to have her photographed because she was so animated now. I've had three kids and none of them were animated at three months. Three years, yes. Three months, no. But boy, was I wrong. This kiddo had a million different looks and expressions. She is such a happy, happy baby. It was a blessing to get to spend the morning with her and with her wonderful mom! Here are some of my favorite shots.

Some favorites! Christmas Card Shots from 2009. Corey Williams Photography

2009-12-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, I've been so busy shooting kiddos for Christmas cards and it's been a real blast. I've been romping all over town with kids that are telling me hysterical jokes, showing me how they can burp the alphabet and tell me my feet are stinky. What a great job!!! I want to share some of my favorite Christmas Cards thus far. Though these are my favorites, these are not the cards that the clients chose. I have to give you something to look forward to in the mail!!!! :-)

Thanks to all that had me shoot their little ones this season. It was a blast!

Pretty Ladies - Christmas Portraits with the G Family - Chapel Hill Baby Child Portrait Photographer - Corey Williams

2009-11-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, I wandered the streets of downtown Carrboro with two sweet little girls and their knockout of a mom. We had a blast, hanging out among the funky murals, playing at the outdoor juice bar, rocking in the rocking chairs outside Mapleview IceCream, and bouncing on the trampoline. Here's a sneak peek at what's sure to be a fun Christmas card!!!!

Super Silly Siblings

2009-10-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I shot the most adorable family. The B/M family has three kiddos - Mr. R, who is a big, macho 10, Miss J, who is 8, and the precious little Baby M, who is just 17 months. We had a blast. We wandered around, shooting for a couple of hours. I got amazing individual shots - which I'll post later - but was astonished by how much verve and sparkle these guys had as a family. They just had a blast together. Wreslting, playing, laughing. It was a pleasure to shoot them!!!

Just Two Sessions Left!!!!

2009-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but just a week after announcing that I have Christmas Card Session available, they're nearly all gone! Thank you guys for overbooking me. I totally love it. There are just two sessions left - one weekend and one weekday afternoon. So, if you're interested, call me asap! 919-810-6700 or email me at coreywilliams@nc.rr.com!

Blueberry Picking at Cedar Grove Farm, NC

2009-07-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

So, on Sunday Mel and I loaded up the kids and headed to the Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm in Cedar Grove, NC. It was about a half hour from Chapel Hill (of course, I drive like a grandma) but it was a pretty drive and we enjoyed it. We arrived to find a lovely, mature blueberry grove. Most of the bushes at Cedar Grove were 20 years old, so they were taller than Mel. It was a lovely day - low humidity and in the 80s - and we really enjoyed picking. The kids played on a swing set, picked berries, checked out the bugs and played in the rows of blueberry bushes. In the end, we picked 9 and 1/2 lbs of the delicious little fruit. Mel is already talking about going back and tomorrow morning I'll be rising early to make muffins. I give Cedar Grove two big thumbs up. It was a wonderful, wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon

A Wet N Wild Day! - Chapel Hill, NC Baby Child Photographer -

2009-07-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

On a whim, I decided to take the kiddos to Wet N Wild in Greensboro today. We packed up the car early and Gigi, Vitoria, the three kids and I all headed to the water park. We reserved a cabana (a must! lots of space table service, lockers) and were able to relax and enjoy the day. The kids had a blast on the Lazy River, the kiddie slides and playing in the Happy Harbor. I floated with Wg in the wave pool (she's addicted), hung with Mr. B near the squirting submarine (and bought him every treat they offered - witness the ice cream), and held Baby C while he slept. It was a wonderful, wonderful day. We're home now - water logged and exhausted. But what a great memory! I didn't pick up my camera until late in the afternoon, but I managed to catch them during some majorly cute moments.

My favorite images are of Mr. B playing in one of the water features. He had such a blast!

And here are some of my other favorite images from the day...

Newborn! Sneak Peek at Mr. Grady

2009-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

I had my very first newborn shoot this morning! It was so much fun. He's just a little over a week old and he was so, so sweet. I can't believe that my own Mr. C is already 3 months and so much bigger than this little peanut. He was a sweetie and I have TONS of photos of his adorable hair, sweet cheeks and beautiful rolls! Here's a sneak peek, but come back to see lots, lots more! And tell me what you think of my very first newborn!

The Thumbs Up! Chapel Hill, NC Baby Child Photographer - Corey Williams Photography - Portraits of Kids, Families, Newborns, Babies and More

2009-07-08T07:44:00.001-07:00

thumbsup, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Hung out at the pool yesterday evening with the kiddos and several friends were there too. I absolutely love this pic of Mr. J expressing his feelings about the Tar Heels!

Photographer for Hire!!!

2009-07-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, it's official! I am starting a small portrait business. I know, I know, I have a million jobs, which I - with the addition of each new child - try to scale back. But I'm just having so much fun. I love my new gig at Chapel Hill Magazine as one of their fashion editors. And I'm having a blast photographing my friend's kids. So, look for a new website in the coming months... In the meantime, help me pick a logo. Add comments with your favorite! I need all the help I can get. And get poor Mel an advil!

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Fourth of July

2009-07-04T21:10:00.001-07:00

blue snowcone, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

The fourth of July is my favorite holdiay. It's the one holdiay where the mommies get to lounge around as much as everyone else. For us, that means a full day at the pool complete with pool games, a full bar, snow cones and saying yes to ice cream all day long. Then, we head home and change into matching outfits (cheesy, I know) and head back to the GC for golf cart decorating. This year, we had a Sponge Bob 4th of July theme. Then, it's off the club for dinner, a bouncy house, drinks, and amazing fireworks. I just love every minute of it. I photographed several friend's kids today. This is one of my buds little girl's. She sure did love that blue snowcone. I also love the goggles and those goregous wet pigtails!

Wet Kiddos

2009-07-03T19:10:00.001-07:00

big grin for mommy, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

We went to the pool again today and had a blast. I sat next to one of my buds and took that opportunity to photograph one of her kids as he got out of the pool. He was such a wet cutie! Gave my kids a break from the camera for once.

The Summer of H20

2009-06-29T17:06:00.001-07:00

Jumping!, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Clearly there's been a theme to our summer so far - water. We just got back from the beach with my best friend, Allison and we had a blast. The klids played in the sand, jumped in the waves, splashed in the pool, laughed, giggled and smiled. Of course, they also got overtired, so they cried, grumped, grouched and threw fits. But it was the sort of trip that I'll remember for a long long time. Filled with pancakes, hotdogs, ice cream, cold beer (adults only!) and lots of good times and funny stories. And did I mention the photo opportunities? There were nearly endless for a shutterbug.

A wonderful day

2009-06-26T20:35:00.001-07:00

jumpingwaves, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Every now and then, I have days like today. Days where the world stands still and all that there is in creation is me and my three wonderful children. Today was a day like that. For hours, they jumped waves, dug in the sand, swam in the salty water and collected shells. The joy that the felt was contagious. I sat in a beach chair, under an umbrella and watched them play with a full, full heart.

Scrunchie Face Swimming

2009-06-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

Scrunchie Face, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Today, Mr. B, Baby C, the WG, Vitoria and I all headed to the Hope Valley pool to swim. My best friend, Allison, is a member there. The kids had a big time - the big ones diving and the little ones flopping around in the shallow end. I just couldn't resist photographing Baby T. She enjoys the water so much. She flops around with her mouth open, splashes herself, gets out and jumps in from a seated position. It's all so very, very cute. More photos on my Flickr if you click through....

in a pile of noodles

2009-06-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

in a pile of noodles, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

The kids fastened a bunch of noodles together to make a "canoe" today at the pool. We decided to name it a Canoodle. They had a big time floating around on it.

Backstroke!

2009-06-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Backstroke, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

We went swimming this afternoon. As usual, my camera was in tow. WG loves to float on her back. She has the best time floating around the pool. Those goggles are such a staple in her summer wardrobe, I expect to see them nearly every time I look at her. :-)

Those Eyes

2009-06-20T18:28:00.001-07:00

Those Eyes, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

WG has the most amazing eyes. I snapped this of her when she was swimming today. They were so bright in the mid day sun.

"My Mom is Really Into That Camera"

2009-06-16T20:21:00.003-07:00

What?!?!?!?!, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

So, not only am I driving my own kids nuts - photographing them at every turn. But now, I'm driving my friend's kids nuts too. This afternoon, I was at my best friend's house for a playdate. The crazy nut invited eight kids over (my three, her three, and two others) to play. Just as soon as Baby C slept, I grabbed my camera and started following them around. There wasn't a lot of light in the house, but luckily Baby T was up for a romp on the terrace. She's two and she doesn't stop. She moves constantly, and she certainly wasn't stopping to pose for me. So, I just kept moving with her. And when she looked at me, this is what I got. That expression that says, "Alright, Already!" She's just as cute as she can be. She better get used to it. With models like this, a newbie photographer just can't help herself.

Sisters

2009-06-14T20:01:00.001-07:00

Sisters, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

My mom and her sisters are the very best of friends. They came in this weekend for Jarrett's graduation BBQ. It was a great time, as it always is. They talk all over one another, make jokes and laugh a whole, whole lot. As you can tell, no one can stop talking, even for a photo. I miss my aunts so much! It's so wonderful to have "the girls" for a visit,

The WG

2009-06-14T19:54:00.001-07:00

The WG, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

I bribed WG with a trip to the pool into a quick 10 minutes photo session. Even though she was annoyed with me, we got some good shots! It's so hard not to use my favorite little subjects as guinea pigs, but they are definately getting tired of it. "Mom is really in to that camera, isn't she?"

Haley

2009-06-11T21:34:00.001-07:00

haley1, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

We just got back from Disney World with my dad, Pat and two of my siblings - Will and Haley. They are both camera shy teens but I got some great shots of both of them. My dad thinks his children are the most attractive children on the planet. He has a theory about genes. Ask him about the vigorous gene theory sometime.

Sweet Miss L

2009-06-01T19:54:00.001-07:00

Sweet Miss L, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

One of my favorite photos ever! Taken this afternoon. Couldn't help blogging it!

Sprinkler Fun

2009-06-01T19:52:00.001-07:00

Sprinkler Fun, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Two of WG's buddies came over this afternoon and played in the sprinkler. They were such cuties, I gave my poor, overphotographed kids a rest and had fun capturing these two playing. They even smiled at me some!!!!

On Stage

2009-05-28T19:35:00.001-07:00

onstage, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Vitoria, Mel and I took the kids to the children's museum last week. They had a blast. B had fun dressing up and playing on the stage. Vitoria snapped this shot of him and I edited it. Yummy!

Baby C

2009-05-27T19:10:00.001-07:00

Baby C, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Baby C is getting so big! He's eight weeks now. I took this photo of him over daddy's shoulder on Memorial Day at the pool. He was a such an angel that day. Sleeping, nursing and just hanging out while the big kids played and played.

birthdaygirl

2009-05-24T18:35:00.001-07:00

birthdaygirl, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

This weekend we went to C's fourth birthday. It was great fun! The kids all had ice cream and hot dogs and the birthday girl's mom and babysitter painted faces. Here's the birthday girl in all of her wild, birthday glory. Happy birthday, C!

Handsome

2009-05-14T20:57:00.001-07:00

Handsome, originally uploaded by Corey Bennett Williams.

Danielle likes my photo! I totally love that my friend and photographer extrodinaire, Danielle Anthony, liked this photo of Mr. B to comment on it. Yeah!

Flickr

2009-05-14T20:53:00.001-07:00

Guys! I'm on now, so you can see my photos. For those of you just tuning in, I am taking a photography class and having a great time learning. We have just one class left, and I'm bummed. I'll be signing up for lots more! I think I've gotten the shutterbug - Hardee-Har-Har.

Getting Ready!

2008-12-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

There's so much to get ready for right now. There's Christmas, the kid's winter vacation, and wonderful visits from my family. All of which I am so looking forward to. And then there's the things that I'm SO happy about but are full of uncertainty. Here's what's keeping me up...

1. Baby #3
At 25 weeks preggo, the baby is really moving a ton - much more than the previous two. This one is a flutter kicker. When he/she moves - it's all limbs at one time. And it's enough to wake me. Not knowing whether this is a boy or a girl, I have a bit of anxiety about not being prepared. I'm not sure which clothes to wash, how to decorate the nursery (more on that in a minute) or what to plan for.

2. Moving
Yep, you heard me right. We're moving. I LOVE the new house, but moving when I'm this pregnant is making me a little nervous. Plus, we're planning to buy new furniture and perhaps work with a designer for the first time. All very exciting, but very new too!

3. Our Au Pair is coming!
We're all so excited to welcome our new au pair in just four short weeks. But I'm so unsure of how to be a good au pair mom. I am reading lots of blogs (check out http://aupairmom.com/ for a great one). I can't wait for her to get here - the kids are so excited and I am too!

It's Fair Time!

2008-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

The kids and I played hooky from school and work on Wednesday and went to the North Carolina State Fair. Perhaps the best parenting decision I've made this week. We needed the time together, just to relax and have fun. We need that deliciously exhilarating environment, a place that sparkles and glitters in their young eyes and a place where I say yes nearly all the time.

I suspend the rules at the fair, and the kids and I both love it. The fair is a place where they don't have to eat their vegetables. (Although Walker's first two choices were an ear of roasted corn and fried okra. Paired with her corn dog, it was a near-balanced fair meal). It's a place where we play games for the fun of it and expect to loose. They challenge themselves and take risks knowing that I'm watching and proud of them for trying, and that my arms are never far away. And best of all, it's a place where I can act like a kid - riding rides with them, having dessert before dinner and getting giddy pleasure from all those lights.

WG was amazing to her little brother. It was the first time I really saw her blossom into the big sister role. At 36 inches tall he was able to ride all the kiddie rides (more on that later) and she held his hand as they waited in line, lifted him (awkwardly, adorably) onto the rides, helped him strap in, and was kind and soothing the entire time. I heard her say, "This isn't scary. It's fun. Sister is with you." I was so proud, I thought I might explode.

B was equally amazing. He is the bravest two year old I know. He got on ride after ride with Big Sis. He even rode the kiddie roller coaster in the front car with a three year old buddy he met in the line. After even the scariest ride, he'd say, "Mommy, I did it!" He especially loved riding the ponies.

We came home, absolutely exhausted but also recharged. We just enjoyed one another so much that afternoon were emerged filled up with energy for one another. It was such a joy and blessing to take them to the fair - to see it all through their awe-struck eyes. Once daddy is home from China, we may have to go again!

Lunch Box Blues

2008-04-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

So, many of you know that I'm nearly famous for my lunch box kit. It came up in both my parent teacher conferences for the WG. Apparently, she's just as anal about it as I am. Anyhow, I'm always searching for something beyond peanut butter and jelly. Since the WG isn't a lover of cold cuts, it's tough. Here is my most recent find.

Lunch Box Pizzas (Adapted from All Recipes.com)
WG loves these tiny half muffin/half pizzas. Admittedly, I do too. The only struggle I have is how to not eat two or three as they come out of the oven. They refrigerate well, and she doesn't mind them at room temp.

1 (7.5 ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 cup pizza sauce
Toppings of your kiddos preference (I use finely diced red onion, red pepper and chopped olives for WG)

3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella
DIRECTIONS
I separated each each in half. I use the flaky layers biscuits so it's easy. Then, press each half into a greased muffin cup. Spoon 1 teaspoonful of pizza sauce into each cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon of cheese and your toppings. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.

My Clothes are Not So Comfy

2008-04-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am going to loose my mind! I've brought home scores and scores of new pants for the WG to try on and nothing is "comfy" enough. The people at the mall hate me. My retailer friends hate me. I keep buying things, bring them back. Buying things, bringing them back. I am exhausted and ready to let her go naked.

We have four problems.
1. She doesn't like any stiff fabrics. Jeans are out. Most khakis are out. Most everything is out.
2. She doesn't like hook and eye closures. They're too tricky when she's in a hurry to potty. Plus, they pinch her.
3. She doesn't like anything that's too tight in the inseam. But she also doesn't like it too loose. Must be just right for Goldilocks.
4. She doesn't like anything that isn't pink, sparkly, floral or frilly.

She won't wear tights, so until we're into full-on spring, we're stuck in pants. Oh, and ditto for leggings. She hates those too. And yes, I've tried Hannah Anderson's slouchy leggings. They're currently keeping the drawer warm.

So, I've bitten the bullet and called Sherri - the delightful manager at Charlotte's Oilily store - and asked to relieve her of every elastic waist pair of knit pants she has in WG's size. She has two pairs of Target sweats that pass muster. And three pairs of Oilily knit pants. That's it - that's what the kid will wear.

I'm open for suggestions. But please, make them good. You're reading the blog of a woman who has darkened the door of damn near every retain establishment in three cities. From Old Navy and Gap to Talbots and Gymboree. From specialty boutiques to web retailers - my only big hits have been Oilily's knit pants, Juicy Couture terry sweats, BCBG velour sweats (and only some of those) and Target's Circo brand sweats. I kid you not.

How am I going to get this girl into some real pants? Or, I dare say, a skirt? Have ideas? I'm listening. In the meantime, tell me it's a phase. And someone, uncork a bottle of Chardonnay.

What to do with the craft room?

2008-04-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

I am in a phase of re-organization. It hits me every now and then. I feel the need to declutter and simplify - make our life work in the space around us.

Right now, my main focus is my craft room/office. It's the space where I sew and embroider, where I store my scrapbooking supplies, and store all my miscellaneous craft and magazine goodies. But the space has some problems. First of all, right now, it's packed to the gills. There's bins of fabric scraps, hundreds of paint colors, glitter, my oil paints and easel, back issues of my favorite magazines, archived issues of my magazine, and so much more. Plus, I need at least two workstations - one for my computer and one to for sewing. And I'd like it to look clean, and clutter free so I can actually relax in there as well.

So, I'm planning a redo. My first thought was to have some streamlined, professional cabinetry built in. So, I headed to the Chapel Hill Lowes and made an appointment with a designer, who was terrific. I chose a Kraftmaid cabinet and a quartz counter top. His design was simple but attractive, with lots of storage for my tiny scrapbook stuff. But I had a bit of sticker shock when I saw the price. $9K installed.

Next stop, Pottery Barn, where I perused their Bedford Collection of office furniture and hutches. While these are really attractive and reasonably well-built (I actually owned a lot of these pieces in my previous house) they don't give me a lot of vertical storage in the hutches. And then there's the bigger problem, they're really massive and don't fit in my 9X12 room.

On to Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen, where I hoped to find the same type of furniture, on a smaller scale. No dice. Most of the options were nearly the same size as the adult offerings and I still had the limited wall storage.

So, I headed to the Internet, where I searched IKEA. My favorite was this gorgeous collection. It gives me lots of wall storage plus two workstations. And the price makes my giddy - I think I can do it all for under $3K. But given that this is where I'll spend much of my time and I will likely be really hard on the surfaces, I'm a little worried about furniture that I have to put together. Is this IKEA stuff really durable enough for working on every day?

So, today, my mom, the kids and I headed for Furnitureland South. If you haven't been there, you should really go. My sales rep is Todd Needles and he's terrific. He's helped us with TONS of furniture in our house. Plus, Furnitureland South is about 40% off retail price - seriously. People from New England drive all the way down to North Carolina to buy here. Lucky for us, it's about an hour away. Anyway, Todd helped me narrow down the million square feet (no kidding) of showroom space to the Loius Loius Collection from Stanley. The price is right on this collection (about $5K) but my big concern is the peninsula desk, which will seriously eat into the floor space in the room. There will be 4 feet of walk space around the desk if I choose this option, and I'm worried it will look too crowded. Plus, I can forget room for a chair or the credenza that's in there now....

So, here I am, just about back to square one. Wondering what in the heck I should do. I would love to do the built ins, but worry that I will be putting money into a space that will never see returns when we sell the house. (I do think many people will see it as a wonderful homework space for kids, though). I want it to work for now, but I know we won't be in this house forever. What to do? What to do?

C

Back and Paying for It!

2008-04-01T08:56:00.001-07:00

I'm back from Las Vegas and the kids are out of control.

My phenomenal friend Trinity took amazing care of them. When I returned, not only had they had outings (The WG tried that kiddie bungee bounce for the first time) and stayed on their schedule, my house was cleaner than when I'd left it. They loved their time with Miss Trinity, as they call her, and WG says she misses her already.

I doubt it's that they are high on sugar - Trinity is not inclined to indulging their sweet tooth. But they're acting like it. They're all screeches and squeals - jumping, giddy balls of noise.

Perhaps they are actually genuinely that excited about our return. Mel contends that's the case, and it's one of the reasons he looks forward to his homecomings. He feeds off their excitement.

But I find it a little jarring. Where are my kids? They've got to be somewhere inside that walking, talking, scream? I know it will take a little time for things to return to normal, but having left them so rarely (nearly never) I don't have a lot of experience with the return. I planned a lot for the going away, but not at all for the homecoming?

Perhaps a should have scheduled a full day lie-in, where we all hung out in jammies, watched movies, ate snack food and cuddled? But of course, I've returned to 175 emails, flats from the printer, and a mountain of work to do. And did I mention two kids that can say "momma!" 475 times per second?

Vegas, baby?

2008-03-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I am going to Las Vegas without my children.

You'd think I'd be ready to have a parade. I've only been away from Baby B a total of 2 nights (one overnight to NYC when Baby B was with dad and one "romantic" overnight with dad to scenic, nearby Greensboro. My mom watched the kids). I've been away from the WG only once or twice for a weekend. And it was blissful for the first 12-15 hours and torture after that.

I miss them so badly. After years of staying home with them, my identity and my happiness are so wrapped up in the children. I miss their little bodies, their voices, their laughs, even their cries. I miss the ritual and routine - the same things that make me long for a getaway when I'm home. I know I'll have fun in Vegas, but this part - the dreading leaving them - is the worst.

So, I'm busing myself getting the house ready. I'm scheduling manicures and pedicures for myself so that I'm super busy and don't have to think about leaving them. I've typed ten pages worth of notes for the wonderful women that are taking care of them. I've recorded videos of me talking for them on the computer. I've wrapped a gift for each of them for each day. I've bought a portable webcam so we can Skype them while we're gone. I've got their outfits chosen for each day, their meals planned, and tomorrow I'll start baking the muffins and cooking the dinners they'll eat while I'm gone. If I can just squeeze in enough activities that I don't think about how hard it will be to be away from them, maybe then, I'll be alright.

You're Going to Disney World Again?????

2008-03-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

My name is Corey Williams, and I am a disneyacholic.

I admit it. We don't go for the children, we go for me. And even though we went last December, we're planning another trip for May and I can't stop thinking about it. Luckily, my best friend and partner in crime, Allison, has the same weakness. In fact, we just got off the phone (a 131 minute phone call, by my phone's meter) discussing just what's we'd do this time.

Here's what makes our highlights:

1. Pirates and Princesses
We're a huge fan of the Disney after-hours parties. They shut the park down just for the party guests, have extra shows, parades, and character meet and greets. Plus, the lines are super short and lots of people dress up for the occasion. We've done the Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Very Merry Christmas Party before - very, very fun.

2. We're taking babysitters!
Our longtime babysitters (who are great friends) are coming with us on this trip. We're splitting the cost of their rooms, covering their plane flights and tickets, but in exchange we'll get something we've not had before - flexibility. The sitters can stay home with the littlest ones while they nap. The sitters can stay with the kids after their 7pm bedtime and we can go out for grownup dinners. Victoria and Albert here we come!

3. Mickey's Backyard BBQ
We've done lots of character dining, but my family hasn't done this one. Allison and her crew love it. All you can eat BBQ, watermelon, ice cream, beer and wine. Plus, dancing with the characters. I'm really looking forward to this one.

4. The Little Einstein's Breakfast at MGM's Hollywood and Vine
One of my favorite character experiences thus far, the kiddos had an amazing time dancing with Leo, June and Quincy. Plus, we had table visits from all three Little Einstein's there that day and Jo Jo and Goliath as well. The food was good (we were there at transition time, so got a little breakfast and a little lunch) and it was super easy.

5. The New Playhouse Disney Live on Stage
My kids are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse junkies. So, they've seen lots of promotional material about the new Live on Stage show featuring Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny. I mean, seriously, I think they're going to freak when they see Manny.

So, that's really it for me. That's what gives me the rush about Disney. I remember the way I felt as a kid when I went there - that there were happily ever afters, that magic was real and that dreams do come true. And I just melt when I see it written all over my kids little mouse-ear topped faces. It's so delicious. And boy, does it ever take me back.

Pictured above, mommy and her best friend at Disney in December, 2005 at the Beach Club buffet.
Pictured below, WG and her best friend at Disney, December 2005 at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

"Corey Williams, Is That You Planting a Flower?"

2008-03-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I must have been channeling Martha Stewart. Because I embarked on a project in an area in which I have no skill or natural ability (okay, there's more than one).

I planted containers next to my front door.

Let me start by saying that I am one of the people that silk plants were invented for. Don't get me wrong, I think flowers are lovely. I ogle plants at the arboretum and lust after the vegetation at the nursery, but when it comes to a real live plant living in my own home - it's another story.

Our current plant inventory consists of one peace plant that just won't die. We've put it in the back of a moving van from Boston to NC and it didn't die. We left it for two weeks on our honeymoon with no attention, and it bloomed. This thing is like the cockroach of the plant world.

We've also managed to keep a plant given to me by Tom Westmoreland alive, against all odds. I can only credit its continued life with the spirit in which he gave it.

I digress. Sunday morning saw me and my whole clan wandering the garden center at Lowes. WG searched for the perfect rose - a la Princess Belle. Baby B stuck his hand in every water feature displayed. Mel paced in big strides up and down the aisles with furrowed brow, looking for replacement shrubs for those lost in the drought.

I fretted over plants for the containers. It was my fourth trip to Lowes to choose plants for the containers. Fourth, this season. Each time, I chickened out. How should I know whether my front door is in full or partial sun? Which plants grow at the same rates? How do you choose based on height, color, etc. I went home, I read lots of "beginner" gardening articles on sites like About.com (who knew that was still around?)

In the end, I left Lowes with eight plants for each of two pots, three bags of potting soil and a stomach full of nerves.

WG was all smiles and giggles when we got home. She was ready for gardening action immediately. Mel settled in to watch some basketball and with Baby B asleep, there was no avoiding it.

WG and I got outside and started unloading. My neighbor across the street, June, an avid gardener herself, emerged from her house and yelled, "Corey Williams, is that you planting a flower? I'm going to pass out."

Well me too. I got all the plants in pot number one before that I-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i'm-doing feeling set in. And I told WG it was time for a consult. We retrieved June from her yard, and augmented with tools from her garage and some plant food, she came over to teach us the fine points.

With an expert in the wings, I was finally able to relax. As it turns out, I did a good job selecting different height plants. My flowering plant will likely need to be replaced in two weeks, but that's okay, says June with a smile. WG smiled. I smiled. It was good, really really good.

So, in the end, I have two gorgeous pots next to my front door. And I have a very happy WG, who dutifully waters both plants before going to school every morning. And she can't wait to do some more planting. And truthfully, neither can I.

My Craig's List Find

2008-03-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my friend (and Charlotte Baby & Child Art Director) Danielle Anthony, I started hunting for cool furniture pieces on Craig's List. A couple hundred posts and about four hours later, I found the most adorable headboard for Baby B's room.

Saturday morning we headed to a neighborhood in Durham to see the bed. It was a delightful adventure. It got us out of our usual neighborhood, we got to meet some new people and the kids had big fun romping around the dealers giant back yard. Plus, the bed is terrific. It's a delicious lemon yellow color with bamboo like accents in white. Yummy! The best part, it was $50 from a local flea market/antiques dealer.

For those of you who wonder what happened to my nautical vs. wilderness theme room for Baby B - I've had a total change of heart. After nearly a week of sleeping on the floor next to the crib when Baby B had RSV, I decided that I'll definitely need a bed in the nursery. That means that Baby B needs to stay in his current room (the safari room below) because it doesn't have room for both a bed and crib.

Mel thinks I'm nuts for needing to plan the new baby's room and plan for Baby B's room before we even get pregnant. But the entire idea of introducing a fifth little being into this household makes me feel pretty out of control. I know that this is just my attempt to impose some order on a situation that is, be definition, quite unknown. But it's my nature. I'm an over-planner.

So, before I'm really ready, there's some serious work to do around this house. I have to get my office/craft room organized, the storage room cleaned out, the nursery and nursery closet ready for baby. At my current rate of progress, I'll be forty by the time we get pregnant. I better get it in gear or give up some of the goals. I'll let you know how it goes, but if you're putting money on it, I'd bet on a serious revamp of my priorities about the time the weather gets warm and the pool opens.

The 11th Hour

2008-03-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

There are moments when being a magazine publisher is really glamorous. This is not one of those times. Danielle (Charlotte Baby and Child Art Director) and I are huddled together in my office/craft room/sewing room. We've been in here for what seems like days; adjusting the bleed on ads, placing last minute photos and churning out copy for holes as things fall into place. Our deadline was 3pm. It's now pushing 1:30am. I am actually hungry, because I ate dinner so very long ago. My makeup is off, hair is in a pony tail, and I'm two steps from throwing on my yoga pants. My bottom is tingly from sitting too long. Have I complained enough? I better send this issue off in a hurry before I fall out of love with it.

But here's what I'm looking forward to....

Our Contributors: For the first time, control-freak Corey has decided to loosen the reigns and let a few other writers contribute to the magazine. And the pieces are great. Tonya Harrington wrote a terrific piece about BPA and why parents should be paying attention to the debate about this chemical. Courtney McLauglin interviewed lots of faith leaders in Charlotte to learn how kids raised in faith-oriented environments see the world differently. And one of my favorites, my best friend Allison Murray (a first time writer!) contributed a hilarious musing about motherhood.

Our Pictorals: I decided to make this our biggest birthday party issue ever! Many of you know that I'm working on a book of children's parties, and I pulled one from the book to share with our readers - My Baby B's first birthday party. And there are three other parties! I can't wait to hear what readers have to say about them. (Oh, and the nurseries are to die for!!!!)

The Layout: Danielle has busted her hump making this issue our most beautiful yet. The design is super clean, terrifically consist ant (because someone I know is a stickler for that) and deliciously whimsical.

And of course, I snuck my kids into a few corners of the magazine. Mr. B filled in for a model that had pneumonia. And the WG posed for an ad for Persnickety, an adorable boutique in Gaffney, SC. (Here's a peek at a shot we didn't use that Danielle blogged without telling me. I'm watching you D!)

Danielle has just sent off the pdf to our copy editor. So, we're wrapping it up for the night. I guess I'll be in bed by two after all! That is, if we can quit talking about the things we love in this issue.

A Quick Spring Break in the Middle of Crunch Time

2008-03-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

The magazine is at T-minus three and counting. We're scheduled to be at the copy editor's this Friday and if we don't make that deadline, things start to get sticky. Of course, I still have ads and images coming in, I have two articles left to write, and LOTS of proofing to do. In the middle of all of this, are my children! Of course, my deadline week overlaps with the WG's spring break. So, not wanting to shortchange her, we took a quick trip to DC for a long weekend.

We stayed at the Four Points Sheraton, which is decidedly different from most Four Points properties. It is a full service hotel and recently remodeled. The rooms were TINY, even on the upgraded "Starwood Preferred" floor.

On day 1, we hit the Air and Space museum. WG enjoyed going in the planes and she likes the hands on exhibits. Even Baby B got into the IMAX movie: The Sun 3D. We grabbed lunch in the museum cafe (McDonald's has a near lock on it) and are now the proud new owners of a dress up space suit.

Naps followed, and that night we headed to Open City on Calvert and Connecticut. It's a great, kid friendly spot where you can get lots of veggies and homemade mac n cheese.

Day 2 we headed up to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Well worth the trip, the kids just LOVED the huge sting ray open tank. There are HUGE rays living there and Baby B couldn't stop squealing at them. WG discovered a love for digital photography on this trip and took about a hundred photos of fish in tanks. We all enjoyed the dolphin show, which was truly amazing. But if you have preschoolers, avoid the aquarium's 4D movie. We tried it because it was described as "scary because it uses strobe lights, etc." Actually, the seats are very interactive -little plastic things whip around your feet to simulate snakes, the seats buzz and hum when bees are on the screen, and they even shoot water. It was WAY too much for the WG and we left with her in tears. It was nothing that a few minutes in the gift shop couldn't solve, but the aquarium doesn't do a good job describing why the movie is so scary. If you have preschoolers, this is definitely one to avoid.

That night, we had dinner are Lauriol in Adams Morgan, which was really terrific. I had the Cuban stead (amazing, the chimmi churri was to die for), hubby had two enchiladas, rice and beans (his standard) and the kids devoured quesadillas. They make their own tortillas and chips on premise, and you can even watch them make tortillas. The restaurant manages to be both upscale (linen table cloths in a Mexican restaurant) and kid friendly, a combo which I adore. We'll head back to Lauriol when we're next in town. FIVE STARS on this one!

Then, it was back home for us and now the kids are playing in the playroom (which they missed dearly) and I'm churning out the last of the articles. Wish me luck!

A Dose of Perspective

2008-02-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Perspective is something that you’d think mothers would have a lot of. After all, we have the most important job in the world – raising the next generation. But somehow, in all of the minutia and emotion, perspective is the only thing I seem to loose more than my keys.

This week, Jennifer Bunich passed away unexpectedly. I’d only recently met Jen. She was one of the two smart moms behind the blog Charlotte Smarty Pants. Jen was a lot like me, a lot like all of us. She was a young, working mom with a young daughter and adoring husband. She had a job that she loved and a new passion in the blog that she started. I was instantly taken with the blog and we crafted a partnership that would bring them into Charlotte Baby & Child through columns and newsletter articles. Just a week or so ago, we were working on her ad and head shots. And now, she’s gone.

I find myself what wondering what would be happening right now if that were me and not her. Would I have felt like I really lived my last few weeks? Would I have enjoyed the last few stories I read to my kids. Would I have relished the tuck-in back rubs?

I fear that the answer is no. Between juggling the kids, the magazine fast approaching deadline, a husband out of the country, one bout of stomach virus, a recent diagnosis of asthma and an eighteen month old that’s discovered a fascination with poop-finger-painting, this was one week of my life that I wouldn’t have cared to repeat -- unless you told me it would have been my last. Then, I would have savored every last time I held my daughter while she vomited. I would have relished each moment of holding the nebulizer mask over my sleeping son’s face at 2am. I would have appreciated every kind word from and advertiser and looked at every challenge as an opportunity to grow.

I know that Jen leaves a lot of people behind in the world that loved her and will miss her dearly. And she leaves behind her readers who will miss her witty and to-the-point writing style. I will mourn that I only got to glimpse the tip of the iceberg of this dynamic woman. And I’ll be forever grateful to her for giving me this incredibly powerful does of perspective. One that I really, desperately needed.

Mr. B can't breathe and I'm the one who's mad!

2008-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Last night at 6:40 pm we had a sick visit with our pediatrician. Baby B had been up since 3:45am and wasn't even able to nap. He coughed constantly in his sleep and I was beginning to hear some wheezing again. By early afternoon he alternated between screaming and flailing in my arms and collapsing on my chest lethargically. Rarely the alarmist, I decided it was time to call the doctor.

My kiddos are normally in bed at seven pm, so I dressed them in their jammies and robes and we headed out. I don't know if any of you guys have tried to get a pulseox reading on a seventeen month old before, but it was not pretty. The nurse and doctor were both good natured about it, but I was really at my wits end. By the time we decided to give him a course of nebulizer breathing treatments (his third in his short life and the second this month), I was nearly in tears. On the drive home, I tried to figure out why.

I don't know what it was about hearing the diagnosis of asthma. He has eczema, has had three of these episodes, and has a family history on my husband's side. You'd think I would have expected it. But I didn't. I know that its still very possible that he outgrows it, but the idea that my precious little boy has any sort of chronic condition makes me sad and angry. I know that asthma is very manageable, and I'm lucky compared to millions of other parents. Top my anger off with a good measure of guilt, because I know that there are parents out there coping with feeding tubes, transfusions and worse. I know that I'm incredibly lucky to have children as healthy as they are. But I am still so upset.

Part of me is angry because he's been so uncomfortable his short little time on earth. He was plagued by reflux as an infant and spent the first nine months of his life on Prevacid - which finally got him comfortable enough to stop screaming. And now this. I don't even know if I really know what his little personality is like. He's so upset all the time, and largely because something always wrong.

If I'm mad, I can only imagine how mad he has been. I have seen that frustrated, angry look on his face so many times. Now I wonder if he's been trying to tell me that he can't breathe or that his chest hurts. The thought of how that must feel for him makes me cry. I hope we're able to get him well enough that I can get to know my little boy and he can get to know me.

We started nebulizer treatments of Xopenex last night. He gets those every four to six hours. And then he gets Pulmicort once every twenty four hours. We have a dinosaur mask for his nebulizer that's supposed to look friendly, but he just hates it. He screams in my arms for nearly the whole treatment. I try to hold him still and Mel holds the mask, but he leaves for Asia tomorrow and I'm on my own trying to get him to take the treatment. I may have to snag a neighbor, but it will have to be a pretty good friend to drop by every four hours. We'll see. Everyone tells me that they get used to it and will tolerate it once they understand that its working. But so far, not my little guy.

What to do with Mr. B's Room?

2008-01-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows me, knows that my favorite rooms to decorate are my children's rooms. Charlotte Baby & Child readers have seen Mr. B's nursery in the book (http://www.charlottebabyandchild.com/archives/nurseries/jungleroom.htm), the WG's nursery and her big girl room too. And now, it's time to start thinking about Mr. B's big boy room, which (surprise, surprise) is scheduled to appear in our October 2008 issue. I have three major ideas and am wondering which you guys like best. Leave a comment and let me know! Here are the rough ideas:

A Cabin in the Woods Theme
My first idea is to do a woodsy theme but with a whimsical and cartoony twist, perhaps even a little bit modern. Something, really bright and whimsical. I was thinking that a moose, raccoon, etc standing in a stream or going for a swim could be a cute mural. (My good friend Allison has a nursery with a great outdoorsy cartoon mural.) Skiing animals could be fun. Bears fishing with poles could also be fun. I was thinking something with a fun, cartoony feel would work best with the bedding. Or something bright and solid. It might be fun to have a real tent in the room and paint a campfire on the wall, etc.

I was thinking about this bed

With a rocking moose

Lighting like this...

A rug like this one

And for added effect, there's a company that makes amazing firefly like lighting....We could use that for a "nightlight" effect.We can install them in fake trees or perhaps even in the wall. Check them out here. http://www.fireflymagic.com/

And we'd have to have one of these nightlights by his bedside table....

City Boy

In a totally different direction, I also thought a New York City theme might be a lot of fun. I thought that some sort of skyline mural could be fun. Especially if we could make it on MDF and mount lights behind it somehow so that the city lights could be his "nightlight". (ambitious, i know)

We could use a fun taxi pedal car

Street signs on the walls

This lamp

Traffic light clock

Bears with "I love NY" shirts on, Broadway posters, maybe even a manhole cover rug?

Nautical Theme

My first idea was a nautical theme, which my family pooh-poohed as ordinary, but I still kind of like....
We could do something bright and whimsical so it's still very "little boy" like. Maybe big whales swimming in the sea. Funny cartoony animals sailing?

I'd love to do this in one corner...

And I love this snuggling cutter

I love this bedding

These flags are great too!

So, what do you think? Which do you like best? Which gives Mr. B the most longevity? Which is most original? And which do you think he'll love most? Can't wait to hear all your opinions!

How I'm Coping with the Writer's Strike

2008-01-24T04:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm all for the writer's getting more money. And I think the studios should break down and settle it already. Mel is traveling, so I'm on my own in the quiet house most evenings. I write the new issue of the magazine a bit. I have a new trash novel. But my favorite diversions, Fox's House with the scrumptious Hugh Laurie and My Name is Earl have not been new since God was a boy. So, I've decided to branch out.

I'm one of those people that usually Tivos three or four shows for myself and about 42 shows for my children. How horrible would it be if they requested Wow Wow Wubzy and I couldn't deliver! But now, I'm recording a whole mess of shows and trying to get into them. Luckily, I've found a winner.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I'm an OC junkie now. Because it's on SoapNet twice a day, I've already caught up on one whole season in a little more than a week. There's Marissa, the earnest albeit slightly melodramatic protagonist. Ryan, the troubled teen from the hood taken in be wealthy benefactors. Seth, the adorable, funny one that I totally would have fallen for in high school. Summer, the endearingly vapid and shallow one. It's just yummy. Campy, indulgent, with all the plot twists you'd expect from a night time high school soap.

I blame Ira Glass for my new found addiction. If you don't know who Ira is, then you're not a terrifically geeky NPR junkie like I am. My love of NPR has been life long (I was the only seven year old I knew who counted Mara Liason and Nina Totenberg among her heroines). On one episode of This American Life, he shared his passion for the OC and how sad he was that is was being canceled. That was it, if it was good enough for Ira, it was good enough for me. All I needed was the impetus of a disastrously long writers strike.

So Hollywood execs listen up. We're not turning to new reality TV. But we are willing to get turned on to new dramas and scripted shows that we haven't made time for in the past. Hurry up, pay the writers more already, before we all decide to take up crochet.

All About Me!

2008-01-16T11:43:00.001-08:00

My One New Year’s Resolution

Right now, I’ll bet that you and I are doing the exact same thing – making our New Year’s resolutions. My mommy-friends have been busily sharing them via email over the past few days. Each woman has laudable goals – to be more organized, to go to the gym more often, to find a church home, to go on more dates with their spouses. But this year, my resolution is far more selfish. This year, I am going to pay attention to myself.

At first it may sound strange, but if you think about it, I’ll bet you too find it hard to pay attention to yourself. Almost every mom I know has busily made lunch for her kids, changed diapers, put babies to bed only to look up and realize it’s after three o’clock and she hasn’t eaten all day. There have been whole days where I have forgotten to go to the bathroom. Or worse, rather than paying attention to my building frustration or resentment, I busily move on to the next task and totally loose my cool when something goes wrong.

This year is going to be different. I know because the resolution is already different. Last year, I resolved to be a more attentive mother, to play on the floor with my kids more, to do more activities with them, and to spend time one-on-one with each of them. I resolved to be a more patient and forgiving spouse. And I resolved to become more active and involved in my church. Are you noticing a trend? Although all my resolutions were wonderful ones, they were all organized around other people’s experiences.

This year, I am going to try to care just at much about how my day is going, as I do about my four year old’s time at preschool. I’m going to make sure that I get a good night sleep in the same way that I try to maximize the baby’s sleep. I’m going to play outings that I enjoy in the same way that I plan them for the children. And I’m going to help enable my own good eating and workout routine in the same way that I facilities those healthy habits for my husband.
I am quite certain that I’m still going to be frustrated by how many hours there are in a day. And the limitations on my time may mean that my kids get fewer outings and a few less craft projects this year. But what they will gain, a mom that is happy, healthy and content to live in the present moment, will likely far surpass that one additional experience.

Mr. B's Book Reviews

2007-10-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

It's tough to find books that hold the attention of a 13 month old. Now that he can crawl and climb, Mr. B barely stops moving until he's actually snoring. But these books always slow him down and help him settle in for bottle and bedtime. Pick them up for any infant you know. They'll be well-loved baby gifts.

Here are Mr. B's favorite right now:

Little Cricket's Song
Sweet, lilting rhymes tell the story of a little cricket that wants to learn to sing. The pictures are lovely and the end of line rhyme scheme gives the book a sing-song quality, but the highlight of this book is the clicking cricket. Push either the mommy or baby cricket's head for a baby-delighting "clicking" sound.

Ten Little Christmas Lights
Mr. B loves this one so much, we've been reading it since the spring. On ten wonderful pages, animal decorate thier homes with Christmas lights, and a new tiny little light glows on each page. The final page brings all the animals back for an encore with a Christmas tree full of lights. Luckily, the lights go off two or three times, so your baby will get to enjoy pushing the button a couple of times per reading.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Mr. B loves a gimmicky book right now. But this one charms by the force of word and sound alone. Eveytime I say "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Will there be enough room?" he giggles with delight.

Mr. B Blows!

2007-10-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

I mean that quite literally. Yesterday, I made mac and cheese for lunch. It was still hot, but he was clamoring for it, so I brought the dish to him, let him touch it and said, "hot!" Clearly, this wasn't the first time I'd said that, because he started to blow. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but when I brought it to his lips, he blew on it before he opened up for the bite. While this might not seem amazing to everyone else, this "1+1=2" was pretty exciting for his mom. He did it again and again, and when I smiled and praised him, he clapped for himself, blowing all the while.

Then, later that afternoon, he crawled over to his sisters Crocs on the floor and tried to put them on his feet. Amazing! He used to only chew on them. Now he knows that they go on feet!

We're at the stage where he is growing and changing nearly every day and I'm trying really hard to savor every minute. I'm at my mothering worst during toddlerhood. The kiddos are just so go-go-go. They make a million messes a day and breeze through the house like tiny little Tasmanian Devils.

But at the end of the day, he's lovely and luscious, and when I sing the ABC song he curls up in my arms because he knows its time for bed. He surrenders all that frustration and toddler angst just to be my baby for a little while longer. And then, he lies his head down and goes to sleep, usually, exhausted and without a peep.

Grab your earplugs everyone, we’ve got a screamer.

2007-10-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I know very clearly when it happened. It was Tuesday morning on the way to school. That’s when Mr. B discovered his voice. He’d made lots of sounds and possibly even said some words before. He’s been known to repeat "Ma! Ma! Ma!" while crying when he doesn’t want to nap. But this was something different. This was screaming.

In the back seat, the WG and Sammy Wammy asked me to turn the movie up so they could hear it…..in their headphones.

It’s a loud, screechy sort of sound. It’s not exactly a happy sound, but he’s not mad either. He’s clearly trying desperately to communicate. Often, he’s pointing at something, reaching for something or trying to do something. There’s just one thing that’s the same every time – it’s loud.

It’s everyone-in-the-restaurant-turn-around-why-doesn’t-she-do-something-about-that-screaming-baby loud.

I’ve never had a child like this, so I confess, that I have no idea what to do. I speed dialed friend # 1 – just wait it out was her advice. Friend #2 just laughed and said that Baby B is "no WG." Friend #3 said, "Do you hear that screaming in the background? Then why would you think I’ve found a solution."

So here it is, an open call for advice. I’ve tried to ignore it – no dice, especially in public. My constitution is incapable of stomaching that kind of noise without a response. I’ve tried a firm "no," which has gotten me a big nowhere. And I don’t really want to discipline him, after all, he’s just trying to talk to me. What I would like him to do is communicate more quietly.

For now, we’re working on sign language. I’ll let you all know how it goes. In the meantime, I’m open to any words of wisdom. And suggestions for the best possible earplugs.

How Can I Get More Zzzzzzzzzzs?

2007-10-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

I can’t figure out how to get enough sleep.

Now that Baby B is nearly walking (and unloading all my Tupperware drawers, emptying the pantry, and getting into the toilet paper) I am busy every moment he’s awake. The WG’s school starts at 8am and I spend a couple hours each day doing the pick up and drop off routine. It seems that the only time I have to work lately, is well, late.

Hubby has been traveling these last three weeks and so I start dinner around 5:30. We eat dinner at 6:00, then it’s time for baths, dressing for bed, brushing two sets of teeth (one much tougher than the other) and reading three books each. I finish up around 7:30 and then it’s downstairs to clean the kitchen. By the time I’ve checked my home voice mail, my work voice mail, email, put in a load of wash and gotten the kitchen clean, it’s nearly nine. Then, it’s time to work on the details for the next magazine party, plan the photo shoots, or write articles. On average these days, I’m getting in bed a touch before midnight and I’m still so keyed up that I need to read or watch TV for half an hour before my head stops spinning.

I absolutely love my life. I have such a great mix of work and family. My kiddos are great and my job is terrific – I love what I do. But the one thing I would change is that I would get more sleep. If I had more childcare, I know I could get more done during the day and get more sleep at night, but I guess at least for right now, I’m willing to forgo sleep for time with the kiddos. I guess I can always sleep when they go to college.