for those of you who follow us on facebook & instagram, you'll already know i've been asking mummy why i don't have a twin. i mean honestly, she could have planned it better. judah and i could have been twins and we would be running around in the garden jumping across sprinklers like Topsy & Tim.





the conversation i had with her was replayed by mum for all of instagram & facebook to see:

"Mummy, why don't I have a twin?"
"If I could've planned it, you would have - one trip to the hospital & all that!"
"So why didn't you plan it mummy? You should have planned it properly mummy!" 

2 days later 
"Will Judah and I be twins when we are older?"
"Um, no...it doesn't work like that.."
"Why not mummy? I want to be twins with Judah!"
"Sorry sweetie, you are his big sister...isn't that fun?"
"No. I want to be twins." 

1 week later in the car **crying**
"I want to be twins with Judah! You should have planned it mummy!"
"Sorry MH, I should have. Sorry."
"Can we be twins when we are bigger?"
"Sure thing darling, you can!"
**Beaming**
"Yes!"



now that the twinning is all sorted, i have moved on to the next thing on my wishlist. a baby sister. last week on thursday i informed mum that i wished to have a baby sister. she would be called amelia. the next day i changed my mind. she would be called isla. i spent the rest of the weekend harrassing her whilst she nursed her sore jaw after a wisdom tooth extraction. she showed me a screenshot on her phone. apparently after our photoshoot with nimz was shared on bella naija one picture went a little viral - well, 2 other sites published it. lets not make a man flu out of the common cold hey?
so, anyway, this picture was published on one page and attracted all sorts of random comments from the public. mummy says one of the comments has forbidden her from having anymore children. see below:

anyone who has faced any kind of challenge will know how comforting it is when someone close says "we're praying for you." whether they go on to do so or not doesn't really matter, in that moment you just feel like someone's got your back. now, when someone you aren't especially close to comes up to you and expressly says "how is judah? we've really been praying for him and believing for him to be well.",well, then tears flood your eyes and you hop from foot to foot like an irish dancer and try to keep it together. you look at that person, you want to give them a million hugs. you feel the weight suddenly fall off your shoulders and look back at your boy and think "my goodness, we're going to be just fine! look how many people are rooting for us!". that's what happened the day we were decked out like this to church :).

This is the third year we've had the opportunity to have a family shoot with Maja - this was actually our 4th session - and she never disappoints. 


We decided to make it an annual tradition and build up family portraits that chart the course of our progress as a family. The timing of June / July is perfect as it coincides with both children's birthdays.This year it was on a warm and balmy July evening  - Maja had assured me the lighting would be perfect & I always trust the experts!


To say that the timing of this shoot wasn't as ideal this year is an understatement. Having just completed on a house purchase money isn't exactly flying around. But one thing I've realised in life is when you make a resolution to do something, it will be challenged. We want these portraits as a marker of each year - the journey we've been on and the challenges & triumphs associated with it.






Personally when I look back on these pictures in years to come, the first thing I'll notice is my hair. I cut it in the midst of all the deaths & tragedies that surrounded us. As I stood in the bathroom one morning untwisting my hair, kids screaming for my attention and with a to-do list as long as my arm, I just thought I need to simplify and enjoy my life. All those people whose life was no more would surely choose another moment with loved ones, as opposed to stressing over a failed twist out! I decided on the spot to cut my hair. One less thing to stress about in the morning. I went to our room and saw the piles of clothes waiting for me to buy a chest of drawers to house them. I took them to a charity shop. One less thing to spend money on. Slowly but surely we've been de-cluttering and simplifying our lives. I've been reading some great blogs by people who are living simpler, more streamlined lives and enjoying them. Making memories, enjoying moments not filling their lives with stuff. I'll be sharing more in upcoming posts.






So as much as it might seem a little indulgent to do these shoots, they are a perfect reminder of the journey we are on. The bags under my eyes do not lie!! At the same time, the joy on those 2 little faces is worth the bags and a whole lot more!!














Maja is an amazing photographer, extremely patient and has a fantastic way with the little ones. We love her dearly and are looking forward to our shoot next year which I've already started planning! Check out her website here.  I had a hard time whittling down these pictures - sorry - she sent me over 60!! Contact her for awesome portraits.