The Accidental Mother/Son Photo Shoot--That I Couldn't Love More

Photos by Dorsett Photography

In recent years, I've tried to make it a goal to have professional pictures taken of my kids (and, ideally, of my whole family) once a year. It's an expense, yes, but I'm a firm believer that great photos of your kids is an expense that you're never going to regret.

That said, to cut down on costs, I almost always do "mini sessions" for my family photo shoots. I've talked about mini shoots before, but basically, they are 20-ish-minute blocks of time where you quickly bang out a bunch of shots in a single location. (Photographers make it worth their while by scheduling several minis back to back, and will often reserve a few weekend mornings for this throughout the year.) 

Mini sessions are perfect, because 1) 20 minutes is pretty much the maximum amount of time my kids (and, honestly, my husband) can focus, 2) it's more than enough time to get a great holiday card photo, which is typically the number one thing I'm after, and 3) they tend to be much less expensive than a full, private shoot, so they are a relatively affordable way to have professional portraits taken.

This year, I reserved a mini session with one of my favorite local photographers, Ady Dorsett, so that I could get some cute portraits of my kids and a family shot for holiday cards. I nabbed a Saturday morning spot in September, told my husband when I booked it, and then reminded him a week before the shoot. At that point, he reminded me that my daughter had her first soccer game the morning of the shoot--at the exact same time. He didn't want her to miss it. She didn't want to miss it. I panicked.

The deposit I had paid was non-refundable, but Ady was really understanding. She was going to let me use the money towards a future session, but I quickly realized there were no other fall mini-session spots left that would work for us. I thought about just skipping it and losing the deposit, but then it hit me: Maybe I'd just do the shoot anyway...with just me and my son.

After all, when else would I make the time and expense to get some beautiful mother/son shots? The scheduling snafu had yielded a great opportunity, so I decided to do it. We'd worry about the Christmas cards later. And I'm so glad we did it! My son was a champ that morning--patient, cooperative, and smiley--and I love how the photos turned out. 

And they came at the perfect time, because truth be told, this has been a difficult year for my son and I. He's had some behavioral issues, which has caused a lot of stress, but he has made huge strides and has come such a long way. He's the sweetest kid, and I love him so, so much. 

So I don't have an official holiday-card photo this year, but these are truly even better. I am so happy that my scheduling "mistake" allowed us to have these beautiful photos that document this time in our lives--that show that, as tough a year as 2019 has been, my son and I have an incredible bond.

I couldn't love these photos--or him--more.

My Little Boy Turns Five Today

My boy is turning five years old today! Which I think means my little boy is officially a big boy. And big or little, he is all boy. He is full of energy--and opinions. He is a class clown (or maybe the class pest?). He is challenging. He is creative. He is hilarious. And he is also the sweetest little guy I have ever met. He freely hands out random and constant hugs, kisses, and "I love you"'s. 

Boys love their mamas; it's so true what they say. And the feeling is so, so mutual. 

Nate, you're my best, my smartest, and my most handsome boy. Happy birthday. I love you so much.

When Your Kid Gets Sick On A Plane

 

So, we made it to Hawaii! But not without some drama on the way here. You see, for weeks leading up to our 11.5 hour flight, I had one fear: Could my son handle it? Would he get bored after an hour and then bug me for the next ten? Would he scream, kick the seat in front of him, and then bolt into the first-class cabin? Well, as it turns out, this did not happen. 

Instead, he got sick. 

He was fine at the airport, as we boarded the plane, and for the first hour or so of the flight. He sat quietly and watched his first movie (one of approximately two billion that I had preloaded onto the iPad), but when it ended, he seemed different. He didn't want to watch a second movie, and instead, he laid down in the seat with his head on my lap--and promptly fell asleep. 

This was weird. At this point, it was about 10am, so he shouldn't have been tired. He's also not a sleeps-on-the-plane type of kid. But there he was, completely zoned out. I was intially thrilled! I stroked his hair and enjoyed Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. 

About an hour later, he woke up, extremely groggy and out of it, and hot. I didn't have a thermometer with me--it was packed in a checked suitcase (mistake #1)--but moms know. (Am I right?) He had a fever. After mumbling incoherently for a few minutes, he fell back asleep! 

The most frustrating part of this was that I had a treasure trove of children's medicine with me, but it, too, was in our suitcase (mistake #2). Ever since my daughter got sick on an early vacation in a town with no 24-hour pharmacies, I always travel with both Children's Tylenol and Motrin, as well as a thermometer. (After my son completely swelled up from mosquito bites in Turks & Caicos, we added Children's Benadryl to the mix.) 

Anyway, this cycle of waking/acting weird/going back to sleep/getting hotter continued for another three hours or so before I finally got up and asked a flight attendant if they had Children's Tylenol or Motrin in their first aid kit. Fun fact: They did not! He did offer to ask around the cabin though, which I really appreciated. (Despite asking several familes, but didn't find any though.) 

An hour later, my son seemed to take a turn and his breathing was very quick and shallow. I freaked out, and went to a second flight attendant (who was lovely and helpful as well). She actually did one of those "Is there a medical professional on the plane" announcements. This was getting dramatic!

Two young, amazing women came over to help--a physician's assistant and an emergency room doctor. They listened to him with a stethoscope (breathing seemed okay! They said the quick breathing is not abnormal for a kid with a fever), and they asked around and found Infant Tylenol. They did the conversions, so we could get the right dose for my non-infant son, and then helped me convince him to actually drink it. (The flight attendant then turned to the doctor and said: "So can I tell the captain it's ok to continue? Because we're about to leave the coast." Oh my god. Can you imagine if we had forced an emergency landing?!?) 

An hour or so after the medicine, he started to get much, much better. He woke up, was talking fairly normally, finally ate something, and watched another movie. (He was quickly bored though, which is already making me nervous for the flight home!) 

We hit an urgent care near-ish to the hotel the next morning to get checked out (negative for strep and flu--phew), but he's doing much better. It's morphed into a rotten cold (which I will now probably have for the flight home), but he's okay.

Moral of the story: Do not pack your just-in-case OTC medications in your carry-on bag. If you lug them on, your kid will be fine. But if you don't, you'll surely be screwed, as we were.

Also, this has to be said: United has gotten some (deservedly) bad press recently, but they couldn't have been more amazing in our situation. I dealt with three or four different flight attendants and they were all extremely helpful and attentive. (I kept expecting an eyeroll or a brush off, but it never came.) They even went above and beyond, bringing him ice packs, applesauce and other snacks, and lots of water. They were great. 

So...have your kids ever gotten sick on the plane? If you have any tips, please share them!

My Baby Turned 8 Today

My baby--my first baby--turned eight today, and I can't believe it. Eight sounds old, right? Eight is reading chapter books and refusing to wear dresses (even though it wasn't long ago that she would only wear dresses). Eight is braving the scariest rollercoasters, but still crawling into our bed when she's frightened in the middle of the night. Eight is telling me I'm the worst mom in the world in one breath, and hugging me tightly and saying she loves me in the next. Eight is making slime. (So. Much. Slime.) 

Eight is wonderful. Eight is beautiful. Eight is here in the blink of an eye. And eight will become nine before I know it, so I'm going to hold tight and enjoy it while I can.

Happy birthday, eight-year-old Sadie. I love you.

I Tried The New Aveda Invati Advanced Hair Thickening System

In partnership with Aveda

UPDATE: For a limited time (only through Octover 7th!), you can get a FREE Revitalizer ($65 value!) if you buy any two full-size Aveda Invati products. To get it, use code ALYSSAAVEDA and click here. 

Last year, I told you about my post-partum hair issues, and you can read about them here and here, but in summary: I had kid number one, lost a ton of hair, but it came back. A few years later, I had kid number two, lost way too much hair again, and then...it didn't come back. Sure, my hair was still relatively thick (thank god I started life with a lot of it!), but it was nowhere near where it had been pre-baby. 

And maybe it sounds selfish to complain about lackluster hair when you have two healthy, adorable children to show for it, but 1) We all know hair is important and that it often relates directly to how confident we do or don't feel, and 2) Can't women have cute, healthy kids and good hair?!? This has been my quest ever since.

As I told you at the time, I started tackling my hair issues last year with the original Aveda Invati system, and was very impressed with my results. Well now, Aveda is launching a new version, Invati Advanced. They came to me a few months back, and asked if I wanted to try it early, but there was a catch: I had to commit to a full 12-week trial--using the shampoo and conditioner every time I washed and the leave-in product every single day. As someone who basically switches between multiple beauty products for my job, it was a big undertaking. 

But I was excited to give the products a real, honest chance to work (and I wanted thick hair again, post-baby!), so I signed on immediately. From then on, I carried those bottles everywhere--to and from blowout bars, workouts, on vacations--and I used them religiously. I was committed. 

And I experienced some pretty awesome results. 



About a year ago, before I tried the Invati products, my hair looked so much thinner and flatter, and my part was so huge! (WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME??) After I gave the Invati Advanced system the full 12-week trial, my hair felt and looked thicker! It had so much more volume, and my part is no longer as wide as the state of Texas. 

The Aveda Invati Advanced system has three steps: the Exfoliating Shampoo, the Thickening Conditioner, and the Scalp Revitalizer. You use the shampoo and conditioner every time you wash your hair, and then the Scalp Revitalizer once every single day. With the previous Invati system you had to apply the Revitalizer twice a day, so this is a huge improvement and makes the whole thing that much easier.

I love that the products are pleasant, easy, and contain naturally derived ingredients, and that the system fits so easily into your life. You're not adding a ton of steps into your beauty routine. And it works! Your hair feels noticeably thicker from the first time you use it, and over time, you start to notice that your hair is stronger and breaking less, so you're losing less hair when you brush, and that thinning spots are beginning to look less thin. Before long, you start looking and feeling a little more like the old you. 

Because let's be honest: It matters. Caring about how your hair looks does not make you superficial or silly or a bad mom. Hair is not just hair. When our hair looks really good--full, healthy, and bouncy--we feel so much more confident. I know I do. And having more confidence--feeling truly, fully condident--translates into every area of your life. When I feel confident, it really seems to make me better at everything I do, whether that's writing, blogging, or being a mom. 

Because I always, always strive to be a great mom. But I'm not ashamed to say I strive to be a great mom with great hair, too. ;)

Me, my daughter, and my newly-fuller hair heading out for school dropoff. (BTW, if anyone is wondering, the "fur" on our hoods is faux!)

All photos by Raquel Langworthy

Want to try the new Aveda Invati Advanced System? For a limited time (only through Octover 7th!), you can get a FREE Revitalizer (a $65 value!) if you buy any two full-size Aveda Invati products. To get it, use code ALYSSAAVEDA and click here. 

Thank you to Aveda for sponsoring this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Turning Four

Braving the rope bridge just this morning

Four years ago

My little boy--my youngest--is four today. Four! It's hard to believe it's been four whole years since, as he put it this morning, "the stork snuck me into your tummy." 

And what an eventful four years it has been! Happy birthday to Nate, a little boy who...

...has taught me that boys and girls are, in fact, very, very different. Oh my god. Boys are a freaking handful, you guys. Whoever said that girls are easier when they're younger (but harder when they're older) and boys were the opposite, was SPEAKING THE TRUTH. 

...has zero sweet tooth. None! Case in point: This week I asked what birthday treat he wanted me to bring in for his class celebration, and he said, "Grapes." 

...is so amazingly curious! He asks question after question when we're reading books. He finds every cool-to-him stick or rock at the park (then stuffs it into his overflowing jacket pockets). And he wants to know how everything works, like just this week when he was examining the inner workings of a flashlight. Of course he did it while sitting on the toilet. As he was pooping. And then accidentally dropped all of the pieces into the toilet. Yes, I'm sure one day I'll find the story of me reaching my Ziploc-Bag-gloved hand into that poop-filled toilet to retrieve the three AAA batteries to be funny, but well, we're not there quite yet.

...despite being active and loving to climb, has never once climbed out of his crib. That means, at four years old, he blessedly, still sleeps in that crib. I know it's bad and that we need to transition him, but it's hard because it's also just so, so good. Don't worry, honey: I'll move you to a big-boy bed before college. (Probably.)

...is just the sweetest thing ever. We all know most guys reach a point where they have a hard time saying, 'I love you,' but this little boy is in no way there yet. Nearly every day, and for no reason at all, he'll turn to me randomly and say "I love you, mommy." Never fails to melt my heart. (Then I say, "I love you more," and he replies, "No, I love YOU more," and we go on and on like that. Yes, we are that couple.)

So, for those reasons--and a million more--happy birthday, Little Naters. I love you. More.

My Baby is 7 Years Old Today

Posing on her birthday morning. (And how about that '90s-esque outfit complete with choker?!)

Seven years ago.

My daughter turns seven years old today. Seven. Wow. It seems...old, right? As my friend Andrea, who is also the mother of a seven year old, said: "Seven seems like a real person."

And a real person, she definitely is. My seven year old loves clothes (as anyone who follows me on Instagram knows). She loves playing Roblox on her iPad. She loves watching cooking shows, particularly when they involve kids. (This is where she learned about the "raspberry coulis" she insisted on adding to my homemade boxed birthday cake last month.) For her birthday this year, my seven year old is getting slightly more mature gifts like a purse, a pair of earrings, and an emoji pillow, whereas in years past, the presents were all toys. My seven year old even has newly pierced ears! 

It's official: My little girl is growing up. She can read. She can successfully sleep over at a friend's house. She can even talk back to me! (Yep. It's not all roses. She often tells me I'm the "worst mom in the world"--usually in response to some barbaric offense I've committed like not letting her have a second Kit Kat for dessert or asking her to put her shoes on.)

But my seven year old is also still my baby. She still calls me mommy or mama. She wants to snuggle with me if we're watching TV. She wants me to walk her to school--and into her classroom--every morning. She tells me she wants to look like me when she grows up. She wants me to lay down with her every night while she falls asleep. And even though I always have a million things to do after tucking her in, I lay down with her. Partly because she usually falls asleep within minutes, and partly because I know these days won't last forever. There will come a time--sooner rather than later, I fear--when she won't want me to be there while she falls asleep. It will be "get out of my room, mom!" while she texts boys under the covers. 

Oh god. 

But until that day comes (will it be 16? 14? earlier??), I'll enjoy the in-between goodness that is her seventh year when she's certainly not a baby girl, but not really a big one either.

Sadie, I love everything about you so much. You're the best "real person" I know. Happy birthday.

(a.k.a. Mommy. a.k.a. The Meanest Mom In The World)