Category: Yah Yah Photography

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Babies Baby Gear Baby Wearing Kids Pregnancy Shopping Yah Yah Photography

So you want a big family… (or not)

I had a very fun opportunity this past week. I recorded a segment for a podcast!

This all came about a couple weeks ago. I noticed I had been tagged a couple times in a post in the gDiapers Facebook community. I clicked to see what I was being called out for, and I instantly laughed upon seeing the post. They were looking for parents of large families (5+ children) to interview for their podcast.

After laughing, I sat and thought for a minute. I’m really the person my friends think of when asked if they know any crazy people who can’t seem to stop having babies?!? Yep. I am. *insert more laughing*

The focus was a lot about how you know when and if you’re done having babies. There were a lot of questions regarding this.. but one actually made me think. What would I say or what advice would I give to someone trying to decide if they’re done.

Considering only ONE of our SIX babies were planned, and one was a birth control baby when we thought we were finished, I have no advice to give on deciding whether you’re done or not. We have been blessed beyond measure – but with very little deciding. (Until now, that is..) That said — I do have a lot of insight on having a large family. So, if you’re sitting there, staring at your all-too-quickly growing baby, trying to decide if you want to set out to procreate like rabbits.. here’s a few things to think about:

•On your worst day, how do you handle the chaos? Large families come with a lot of chaos, even on the good days. You often find yourself running in circles. Like you’re in one of those revolving doors and can’t seems to figure out how to get out of it. Round and round you go. Same stuff, different kid. Over and over until you hit the mattress. (And then a couple times after you’ve hit the mattress. Kids, they just KNOW when you’ve attempted to relax!)

•Do you enjoy shopping at Costco? Costco is one of those things that is no longer a luxury. A trip to Costco used to be one of those “Oh! I can buy our entire months worth of groceries!” Nope. It’s basically a necessity just for a week’s worth of feeding 6 kids. Especially when almost all of them are growing boys with giant appetites. (Have you seen how much a preteen boy can put down?!? And WHERE does it go?????)

•Are you willing to size up your vehicle? Our particular dilemma when we found out that number 6 was on the way was that we would require 5 car seats or boosters to be installed. My gripe is that most large vehicles don’t feel the need to accommodate car seats like they should. We upgraded to a full size van just to fit the amount and types of seats we needed to install, plus give room for all the STUFF that going out with 6 kids requires. It also allows us to not fold our giant stroller (Uppababy Vista) so, yay for being lazy! I mean, uhhh, saving time!

•Are you one of those people who loves doing laundry?  Here’s an equation for you. Smelly, sweaty preteen + sticky, snot nosed toddler + slobbery, poop filled infant = A LOT OF LAUNDRY. Along with upgrading the vehicle, you may need to upgrade your washer and dryer capacity. I used to love laundry. I no longer love laundry.

•Cold and flu season.. when one goes down… the entire forest is going down with them. I’ll never forget when I was about 7 months pregnant.. our toddler vomited as we were getting him ready for bed. We thought it was a one off, as he seemed fine after. Put him down to bed and moved on. An hour later, our 3 year old followed suit. Oh no. Okay.. two was tolerable. By 3 am, we had 5 vomiting children and a pile of towels and sheets covering beds and the floor. (Which goes back up to “do you like laundry?” Ha!)

•Are you willing to become best friends with your local baristas? Let’s face it – coffee is my life line. Drink the coffee, do the things. Fairly certain my baristas know what kind of day I’m having based on how many times I roll my giant van through the drive-thru (also a necessity!) and how many children are crying as I do so. They know my drink based on time of day. No joke.

In all seriousness, though..

Do you want a lot of kids? This is probably the only thing that matters. Everything else works itself out. If you want a large family, if you love being a parent and want to keep doing it.. do it! We have our people, our tribes or our villages, whatever you want to call them.. and that’s great. They will all have an opinion on whether you should or shouldn’t have several kids. They’ll probably voice those opinions, too. But as nice as it is to have a support team, this decision is one only you can make, and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.

We love our big family, and our children love our big family. Did we set out thinking we’d have 6 kids? No. It’s been amazing, though. We did make the decision to be done-done (or as done as you can be.. they say nothing is 100%) after baby girl.. We thought we were done after number 5, and she is the whipped cream that topped off our mocha.. We felt ready to make that decision of completion.

Half a dozen kids, one kid, no kids. We all have our ideas of what OUR perfect family is. None of us are right or wrong. Make the decision that works for your family. Also, keep an open mind. Sometimes surprises or tragedies happen and our ideas get changed a bit. Embrace your family, and never apologize for your decisions.

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Announcements Babies Pregnancy Yah Yah Photography

Our Combined Pregnancy and Gender Announcement

When we found out we were pregnant with baby number 6, there was one thing my husband and I were sure of. We were going to wait to announce our pregnancy until after we knew the gender of our baby. Quite honestly, I didn’t want to hear what people thought I must need/want/be having.

Waiting 16-20 weeks to announce a pregnancy is not always easy. Especially when it’s number 6. You tend to be showing much earlier and if children notice — children talk. This meant we also had to keep it a secret from our kids. There were a few “mom, you’re belly is kind of getting a little big..” from our very blunt 5 year old.. but overall my boys were oblivious.

The day came. As I sat in my OBGYN’s office 16 weeks pregnant, he wheeled in the ultrasound machine and declared “we’re going to look..” and look he did. Very closely. As the words came out of his mouth, there was a pause. I honestly was waiting for “and there’s another boy!” — but that is not what he said. “You know, It’s not what I am seeing, but rather what I’m not seeing.. ” Then, we stared intently for more than 10 minutes. Poking, prodding, getting images of every angle baby would cooperate for. We knew his verdict wasn’t 100%, but because hiding it was getting increasingly difficult as each week came, we decided that his “95% positive” was assuring enough to do our announcement. We could always amend our photos later if our 20 week anatomy ultrasound happened to show something otherwise. Haha.

We messaged back and forth with our family photographer, Olivia of Yah Yah Photography here in Portland, Oregon. She has been photographing our family for over 10 years and her excitement over this uncharted territory was equal to ours. Together we knew we needed to do this big and obvious. The photo shoot would not only be telling the world we were pregnant AND having a girl — but the shoot itself would tell our boys they were going to have a baby sister. Something they have begged for. She invisioned a lot of pink – and together our Pink Tea Party “Baby Sister Boot Camp” came to fruition.

We were a little worried our boys would figure it all out before we captured it.. but lucky for us, our kids don’t think twice about the color pink or the random things we do for photo shoots. As the pink treats and balloons came out, they just assumed it was for Spring. Olivia set up the tea party at a park and then she waiting as we all walked over to join her. It was the perfect way to get the little details captured before making the announcement obvious. She then proceeded with a seemingly normal photo shoot at first.

We then walked our boys over to the table, where they began to get confused by the tiaras on the table – but brushed it off fairly quickly. I mean, there were cookies, cupcakes and jellybeans to be had.

After a moment, Olivia declared that she had forgotten something in her car and needed Dad to go retrieve it. He came walking back with “It’s a Girl” balloons and two chalkboard signs. One said “Baby Sister Boot Camp” and one was adorned with baby sister’s name. That’s when it hit them — and we captured their reactions both on video and in these amazing photos.

The hardest part was the week after we did this photo shoot, having to keep our children away from anyone they may spill the beans to. Hahaha. Proud to say, we managed that nicely and it was a very successful surprise for everyone.

By the way — We have since had 2 more ultrasounds, with a total of 5 people in all telling us she is, indeed, a girl. I guess I’ll believe it. Hahaha.

How and when did you announce your pregnancy and/or the gender of your baby?

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Babies Baby Registry Freshly Picked Parenting Review Shopping Yah Yah Photography

Stylish Steps with Freshly Picked
imageLittle baby shoes have always been a favorite of mine. Those tiny toes can get cold, dirty, you name it. A lot of shoes on the market for babies and toddlers aren’t really practical, though. Many have , some don’t stay on, some are too heavy for little legs. When moccasins came into style, I was thrilled. Light options to keep feet warm, stay on the foot, and look adorable while doing it — BUT they had to be quality. My kids are small and slow growing, they are also ALL boys, so we enjoy the ability to hand things down if possible. This means I look for shoes, particularly, that are well made, durable, and can be used for long periods of time. Enter in Freshly Picked.

imageI bought my first pair of Freshly Picked Moccs for our little one’s first birthday. He was gaining mobility but was still too small for most hard sole shoes. The quality leather and construction of the FP moccs allowed him to toddle around as he pleased, but still protect his little feet from the elements. They didn’t form holes or anything. Just cute indentations of toes and footprints in the sole. We were constantly being stopped and asked about his tiny little moccasins. The best part? They go with pretty much any outfit we put him in. Jeans? No problem. Casual clothes? Still work. Dressy clothes? Still no problem.

imageWe have since gone on to own more pairs of  FP moccs and I am not disappointed in the slightest. Many people are surprised I put them on my boys, but seriously, they might be the most gender neutral shoe out there. Most recently, we got the “Let it Go” moccs, they are an icy goldish/silverish/iridescent color and our little boy rocks them like no other! They also do a great job offering a wide variety of color options for all preferences.

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I am SO in love with Freshly Picked and I can’t wait to buy some of the newborn crib moccs for our new baby boy on the way. (I might even get the newborn bringing home baby bundle! It’s too cute!!)

 

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Baby Shower Diapers gDiapers Green Review Yah Yah Photography

Change Diapers..

I’ve sat here many times attempting this post, only to quickly realize how difficult it is to put into words my love for a diaper. No, I am not excited about any poop filled diaper. In fact, most diapers instill fear in me. If you have ever experienced a blow-out you know this fear. However, I am googoo over gDiapers.


Photo by Olivia at Yah Yah Photography

I tell the world about my love for these diapers all the time. When my friends are expecting, I show them my diapers. (I’ve converted quite a few, too!) I tell them how easy they are to use. How simple it is to change. How not traditional they are. I am amazed by how many people still think that cloth diapering involves plastics covers and pins. Yes, you can still use those methods.. but why when you don’t have to? When you have something that is as convenient as a disposable diaper, without the guilt.

I often volunteer, when given the opportunity, to work in the gDiaper booths at trade-shows. Telling people about gDiapers is simple there. I show off my baby’s g-Clad bum and then talk about how simple it all is. I am able to answer new parents’ anxiety-filled poop questions. Tell them about how gDiapers has helped reduce my carbon footprint. I get to explain about my kids’ sensitive skin and how gDiaper’s has never given them a rash. I get to brag about how I have never had a blow-out in our gDiapers and I can explain all the differences in using gDiapers with their flushable/biodegradable/compostable insert, using gDiapers with their cloth insert –or– using plain old disposable diapers. (Currently, I am a biodegradable only user. I did cloth inserts with my middle son.. and my first son was a ‘sposie kid. Eep! I know the ins and outs of it all) Yet, to write it all out here? The words don’t flow. So, I am going to attempt to SHOW you how wonderful, adorable and simple gDiapers are. If there is one thing I have a lot of, it’s pictures of my kids in g’s.

Starting Out Tiny..

Let’s start with the TinyG’s. Rated for Newborns (Or, more accurately 6-10 lbs) these diapers are all one piece with a soft cotton exterior lined with a water resistant lining. Please observe, gDiapers all close in the back. While this takes a little getting used to with a wiggly, squishy newborn.. you will thank them for it as your child gets older and can start attempting to remove diapers that close in the front. (Trust me..) They recommend that these newborn diapers only be used with the biodegradable liner. Which, for newborn poop, I recommend using that particular liner anyway. There are snaps in the front to allow you to lower the rise as to not get in the way of a drying/healing umbilical cord and they are so sweet to look at. All of the TinyG’s come in this print and I couldn’t get enough of it. My baby was in the TinyG’s for longer than most (about 3.5 months) but he was less than 6 lbs at birth and only 8 lbs when I moved him into the smalls.

Some babies will never wear the TinyG’s, but if you can get your baby in them, even for a short amount of time, I recommend it. It is a wonderful way to get into the routine of gDiapering and a great learning tool. You can get the TinyG’s in packs of 6 or you will find them in the gBaby Bundle. (The gBaby Bundle is, in my opinion, the best value.. even if you don’t use the Tiny’s for long. You get 12 TinyG’s, 6 size smalls and 80 of the Biodegradable Refills.)

 

 

 

Getting Bigger:

As you Transition into the small gPants, (Small gPants rated from 8-14 lbs) there is a little bit more of a learning curve, as you will now have 3 pieces to your diaper. The soft and adorable cotton exterior, a nylon snap-in liner (or “pouch” as they are often referred to.. Each diaper comes with this pouch but you can buy extra) and then your choice of cloth or biodegradable insert. While this might seem slightly intimidating or complicated, it is definitely not. I typically pre-prepped all of my diapers and then switched them out at each change. If he was just wet, I would simply toss or flush the biodegradable insert, let the diaper and snap-in liner dry out and put a new diaper on him until the next change when I would go back to the previous diaper. Often only using 2-3 diaper exteriors and snap-in inserts per day.That is, unless I wanted to put him into a different color. Which, sometimes happened often. Especially during the summer when I used his diapers as part of his outfits.  I think the thing I loved most during this period of time, compared to when my oldest son wore disposables at this age, is that I never had an outfit ruined by “blow-out” — My g’s have always contained the mess and protected his clothes. (Unless of course, I was 1/2 awake and put the diaper on wrong. But, that never happened. Nooo..) I kept my babies in small gPants (I have gDiapered two babies) until they reached about 12 pounds.

Growing Up:

The transition from Small to Medium was a little bit more interesting. Width wise, my baby still needed the small.. but length wise, the rise was too short. (Medium gPants are rated from 13-28 lbs) Thanks to the amazing community of gParents, I was guided into the “Small to Medium Transition Phase” of using a size Medium gPant (The cloth exterior..) with a size Small snap-in liner and biodegradable insert. This worked perfectly until he was about 14.5 pounds and able to fit the Medium snap-in liner more appropriately. The practice, by this point, will be second nature and there is no difference in gPants from Small through Extra-Large except that the Small gPants have a thinner waist band than the Medium, Large and Extra-Large. I’ll be honest, though. I have never used anything larger than the size Medium. When my first gDiapered baby was ready to potty train, he was only 25 pounds and still in Mediums at 2.5 years old.

  

An Addictive Collection:

Now that I’ve explained the basics, Let me talk about my addiction. As if the cute array or colors aren’t enough, gDiapers releases Limited Edition gPants and also gStyles Sets (that are also Limited in production) Often, these styles sell out promptly which has caused me to be “victim” of a lack of adorable gPant on a couple occasions. Often, they will throw out hints here and there on their Facebook Page to let you know that these diapers are coming soon, so I often plan accordingly to budget in one or two of them.

 

 

 

While these Limited Edition diapers have an excellent re-sale value, I have never been able to part with mine. I mean, what if I had another baby?? The thought of not having these adorable diapers makes me sad. You’d be surprised that, while all gPants have adorable names (Most appropriately starting with g’s..) most people will call out the name of a Limited Edition or a gStyle faster than you can even remember what your child’s name is. It’s a slightly (okay, not slightly..) addicting diaper obsession.

There are SO many amazing things about gDiapers that I can’t even begin to tell you all of them on a simple (yet adorable..) blog post, so I definitely urge you to go to the gDiapers site to see what they are all about. The community is strong and helpful. The staff is amazing.. and most of all, you will see that g’s are, above all other gWords, Genuine..

If you have any questions about gDiapers, if you use gDiapers, or just want to tell me how adorably cute these things are… Feel free to comment here. gDiapers quickly became more than just a purchase for me. They became a passion.

Note: These products were not provided to me. We bought them, we love them, our children love them, so I am showing them to you in the hope that you will love them too.