That’s definitely not the point of this post…or is it? In order for me to get blogging back on track and to get my work flow under control, I’m going to have to admit that I need help! I adored my beautiful interns of last year. I miss Canaan and Olivia with a passion…my ginger duo. Once they left, I had others lined up, but knew it may be impossible with having a new baby. They would’ve started around the time Steffen was born. I know it was the best decision to hold off. I can’t even begin to imagine how crazy it would’ve been to add others to my zombie days. I’m not exaggerating. I was a zombie. Truly. Now it’s way beyond time to get someone else in here. Do you see my 2:00 am pleas!?!

When do I need you? 

NOW…lol. I’m only half kidding. I would love someone who could start this summer. We will be out a lot in June, so the work wouldn’t be every week until July.

How often will I need you?

One day a week in office (it would be a consistent day that we work out together). In addition, there may be tasks that can be done out of office, in the convenience of your own home. If you’re looking for a co-op opportunity, this would allow you to get more hours than just the one day in the office.

For how long?

I am open on this one. I would, ideally, like someone who could work at least a year. Much longer is even better.

What do I need you to do? 

Process orders (placing orders, sorting orders, packaging orders, mailing orders, possibly a little photoshop work as well)

Mail out all the pretty little info and gifts to clients

Keep packaging materials in stock

Assist in development and distribution of marketing materials

Requirements

Incredibly sweet and fun

Organized

Reliable

Attention to detail

Ability to be in office one day a week, in Lancaster, KY

Bonus points (but not requirements): Adobe Photoshop knowledge and mad packaging skills

What you’ll get…

One photo session a year with CD and personal printing privileges, as well as a significant discount on prints and products

If you’re interested and haven’t completed an application, please do so at www.priscillabphotography.com/blog/internshipapplication/. If you have already sent an application in, please email me at priscilla@priscillabphotography.com to let me know you’re interested in this specific opportunity.

Just because I can’t do a post without a picture…I mean…it might as well be of Steff, right…

He’s pretty excited that Mommy’s going to get an intern.

My eyes opened. It was a short birth, but it was only the beginning. That night I came to realize that this thing that I had been waiting for my entire life was something that I could never be prepared for. There’s no way I could begin to know what to expect. I knew from the million and one people who had told me that it was worth it. In my mind I would roll my eyes because, well…I knew it was worth it. I also knew it would change my life. Those two things were told to me over and over again, but that night I realized those statements were so small compared to what they actually meant. That night, while staring at this miracle, stumbling my way into becoming a mom, and listening to the man I love tell our son our story, I was overwhelmed. I’ll admit that it was a sickening feeling. I was literally sick to my stomach and felt like my heart would pop out of my chest. Part of me wondered what we had done. I didn’t know how overwhelming the love and the sense of responsibility would be. It makes me think about people who choose to shy away from love out of fear of what they could lose. I get it now. The love I have for Steff is so great that it consumes me. It overwhelms me. It humbles me. That night, and the weeks to come, it, quite frankly, scared the hell out of me. I just kept asking my best friend, Andrea, why she didn’t warn me about this and she just said that there was no way to do that. There’s simply no way to explain it. It was probably the most surprising feeling. I knew I would love him, but I didn’t know what that intense love would feel like. In the beginning, I often wondered if we could do this. Could we fill those roles that God had given us. I also thought to myself that anyone who did this more than once was a little insane and those who do this alone were super heros in disguise.

It’s amazing how God designed us. Overtime he softens the memories of the hard parts and brings to light all the beauty that you seem to miss at the time. I’m convinced this is to ensure that the human race keeps on going. During those first few weeks, I would sometimes find myself crying just because I was scared we were focusing on the hard parts and not appreciating the beautiful parts. I thought we would surely regret that. I didn’t know how we were “suppose” to be, but I just knew that wasn’t it. I was too hard on us. If I could, I would go back and tell myself that it’s okay that you’re having a hard time. It’s normal. You won’t feel like a zombie forever. Yes…again…it IS normal. Let yourself feel this way. You’re doing the right things and you are a wonderful mom. There’s no wrong way and yes you will eventually learn how to listen to your motherly instincts…you do have them. You can do this.

So, 9 months later, we have managed to not only keep him alive and well, but are raising a pretty awesome kid…not that we are biased or anything. He is the perfect combination of sweet and wild. My heart bursts each and every time he takes his tiny hands and places them on my cheeks (or in my hair…whichever is most convenient) and pulls me in for a slobbery, messy, kiss. I know, in that moment, that he loves me. Or when he sees me walk into a room and his face lights up. He crawls to me as fast as he can. I pick him up and he gives me another one of those slobbery kisses. Or when he cries in the night and I go to get him and he places his head on my shoulder, his thumb in his mouth, and plays with my hair with the other hand. I know he needs me. He wants me there. I am thankful for him. I am thankful that God answered our prayers. All those years we struggled to bring him into our lives, I couldn’t imagine being without him. That was even before we knew him. I am not only thankful for him, but I am thankful for those struggles. I thought all those struggles would just disappear out of sight once we had him. They haven’t. They are a part of us. A part of him. A part of our family. A part of our story. I don’t want to forget them. Instead I will embrace them. They will forever be etched into my soul, as his love is. Daily I think to myself and often say it out loud that I just can’t believe we’re parents. I can’t believe I am finally a momma. I feel so blessed to celebrate this Mothers day in a way I never have before.

I want to say a big happy Mother’s day to all you mommas…those who have already been blessed with their babies, those who see a baby in their future, and those who are currently fighting the battle to becoming a momma. I see each of you in a way I never did before. I hold your ups, downs, giggles, sloppy kisses, happy tears, sad tears, struggles, and battle scars close to my heart. I know you. I feel you. I celebrate you. I thank you. I love you.

Some highlights…

The first mini sessions of the year will be March 31st at my favorite downtown Lexington area (at least for shooting). We’ll be meeting outside of Lexington Children’s Theatre. Here are a few of my favorites from this location…

April is one of my most popular months for minis! It’s also one of my favorite months to shoot. Boyd’s Orchard is probably my most favorite location in the area. So much variety, a beautiful sunset, green green grass, rows of trees, and, if nature cooperates, beautiful spring blooms. Boyd Orchard minis will be April 14th. Be sure to check out the calendar for more April mini sessions!

Of course, May and November brings Keeneland minis, which may be the most popular location. Keeneland minis May 19th and November 3rd

On June 2nd minis will be held at Shakertown for the first time ever!

And two of the locations I may be the most excited about….a SUNFLOWER FIELD and the 2nd annual FAIR sessions (at the Bluegrass Fair in Lexington). Sunflower sessions will be July 14th and Bluegrass Fair sessions will be July 21st.

October is one of my busiest months with everyone getting ready for holiday cards! It is the perfect month for holiday sessions. I know it sounds crazy. But you have plenty of time to get everything back in time for the perfect holiday gifts and cards. There will be two mini dates in October. The one I am most excited about is another new location! It will be in Lawrenceburg on a clients family’s property. We haven’t picked the perfect spot just yet, but what I envision is natural, simple, a little overgrown grass, beautiful light, and all of my vintage props. We are looking for an old iron bed and we may possibly have some tree decorating going on. Specifics coming closer to the date. Lawrenceburg sessions will be held October 13th. No images of what I’m picturing, but here are a few of the later October minis at Constitution Square in Danville on October 27th

Click HERE to request more information and HERE to reserve your spot!!!

This was started when Steff was 6 weeks old and finished at 3 months. I couldn’t find the words until now.

As I sit here looking at the monitor, with my beautiful baby boy sound asleep on the other end, I think about how blessed I am. He melts my heart. I’ll admit, the time since he’s been born (6 weeks in about 30 minutes) has been both the happiest and the hardest of my life. I never imagined how hard it would be. I didn’t realize that I had unrealistic expectations. I thought “hey…I’ve got these plans and then I’ll adjust for us and Steffen”. Number one piece of advice, don’t have expectations or plans. Love every minute for what it is and don’t expect to be rock star parents from the get go.

So…that is totally not the point of this. I want to remember it all. Every single thing about his birth. It’s our story and it’s a beautiful one. And a long one. It took what seemed like forever for us to be blessed with this miracle. We tried and prayed for years until God’s plan was revealed. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. Be sure to check out the story of how we got here…it’s a pretty good one too.

It all started a few weeks before my due date of August 5th. My uterus, which had been measuring right on with my due date, had started to measure small and I really wasn’t gaining much weight. Our midwife, Melissa, suggested that we have an ultrasound with her consulting OB (who just so happened to be a high risk OB that delivered my wonderful sister Macy). She was calm and didn’t try to alarm us. She said he was just probably a small baby, but since we had conceived via IVF, in combo with me measuring small, it would be best to not take any chances (we felt so blessed that we had all this care, plus the amazing care we had previously with our fertility specialist/OB and IVF dr’s). Our ultrasound came and we were both measuring small as well as the blood pressure in the umbilical cord was high. All these numbers were just slightly off and we were assured that it was probably nothing, but worth monitoring and possibly inducing just to be safe. We kicked “get baby out naturally and healthy” in gear. Our number one goal…healthy baby. Our number two goal…as close to a natural (for us, this meant unmedicated, without interventions) birth as we could get. I wasn’t opposed to induction, but knew that it could start a roller coaster of interventions.

Melissa asked if I would like for her to “strip my membranes” to see if it would get things started. She had also checked and I was 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced, which apparently doesn’t necessarily mean a dang thing (Side note…I had, in the past, had severe cervical stenosis, so for me to be effaced that much and to have started dilating and for the cervix to be very soft, made me extremely excited). That evening I had my first “pressure waves” (what our birth preparation course, Hypnobabies, called contractions). We were so excited. Bret was more and more excited with each one and equally disappointed when they didn’t amount to anything. As was my best friend, Andrea, who we texted the entire time. They were 30 minutes apart while driving to our baby CPR class. Then they were 20 minutes apart (while we were at the CPR class, out to dinner, and on our way home). Then they were no more. The next day I began losing my “mucus plug” (I mean seriously…could they not find a better word for this?). I thought that this had to be it. Texted our doula (who also taught our Hypnobabies class), who said that they can regenerate and that it could just be from the stripping done the day before. We employed several “induction” methods just in case. Walking, squats, Evening Primrose Oil (which I had been taking since 36 weeks), bouncing on the birth ball, and eating spicy food (luckily I didn’t have heart burn at all), among other things. I knew that if the ultrasound didn’t look good and he didn’t come along naturally, there would be a chance of induction when we went in on Tuesday. After talking with our doula, Julie, who had also talked with Melissa, who had also talked with the consulting OB (again…so blessed to get so much care and attention), we felt that things would be fine and we probably wouldn’t have to be induced. Then came the ultrasound..on pins and needles. I even had my sister (who was one of the very few people I told that I was nervous because I didn’t want to worry anyone else) come along just in case. Wouldn’t you know it. Little man knew what was up and decided to gain a bunch of weight in one week. Things were back on track. We had an ultrasound the next week just in case. Everything looked perfect. At the end of the ultrasound I asked if I would see them again next week (I was just a few days away from my due date) and the response I got was “nope…you’ll have a baby next week”. Yikes! Could it be?

Once we got to 40 weeks, thoughts of induction filled my head again. Walking…bouncing…yada…yada. Every exam showed that I was making no progress. All the bouncing (and pelvic tilts) were keeping him in just the right position, but nothing was helping push along the birth. He just wasn’t ready. Momma was ready, but body and baby were not. My due date, Friday, August 5th came…and went. But wait…what are these…these feel different than before. Late on the night of August 5th I started having for real pressure waves, but only 3 that night. They were strong enough to wake me from my sleep, which I hadn’t had before. The next day is when things got interesting. The morning of Saturday August 6th, things were getting more intense. I was craving my favorite pancakes from Ramsey’s, so to Lexington we went.

We timed everything all day. Things were pretty close together and strong, but still all over the place. We were waiting for “longer, stronger, and closer together” for an hour or more and were just never sure that was happening. I had quite a bit of back pressure, which really threw me off. I wasn’t sure if the back pressure was also pressure waves. Now, most of the pressure waves I knew for a fact were real. They were intense. The ones during the day I wanted to feel. I almost enjoyed them. Yep…you read that right. I wanted more than anything for this to be the real thing. I didn’t even use a lot of the techniques we had learned in Hypnobabies because I wanted to feel everything at that point. We hurried through breakfast because things were getting more intense. It was pretty hilarious having a server come up to you, asking if you need anything else to drink, while you’re getting ready to have a baby and timing contractions. Once home, we went for a walk and had to stop a couple times. I listened to my early birthing CD’s from Hypnobabies to relax and remind me how wonderful everything was going to turn out and how my body was doing what it’s meant to do and this was normal and natural. Then came the evening. We had been texting back and forth with Julie (our doula), our photographer and friend Amy, and Andrea. I just kept asking “Is this it? Is this how it feels when it’s time?” No one was sure because I was apparently calm. I wasn’t sure because the back pressure. I decided to take a bath to see if things would slow down. I knew if it did that it wasn’t the real thing. I don’t know how long I was in the tub. I listened to a CD to help clear all of my fears and relax. I’m pretty sure I actually fell asleep. I know things started getting very intense at that point. I told Bret that I really thought this was it and we needed to start making our cookies for the nurses (yep…not go to the hospital…bake cookies). This is something we had planned on doing early on to take our minds off of everything. I’m pretty sure we waited too late.

(That was the last picture I took until leaving the hospital. Rest of the images you’ll see are taken by my wonderful friend Amy of Amy Parsons Photography. Thank you Amy for what I will treasure forever.)

While baking, and right in the middle of a very intense, toe curling, pressure wave, we hear a knock at the door. I’m totally limp and leaning against Bret at this point. Bret has cookie dough covering his hands. I move over and lean against the counter. At the door, we find my uncle that raised me, and uncle Dave, who live 3 hours away. It was hilarious. They just happen to be in the area and stopped to see us. I was not very good company. Bret finished the cookies and we hung out for a while. Dave watched closely while I focused and breathed and curled my toes through each pressure wave. He would say “that was a good one wasn’t it”. I knew this was it at that point. This was around 8:20 PM (according to Bret). We called Julie and asked her to come work through our early birth time with us. Only thing was, we were way past that point. I laid on the couch and listened to my CD’s. Bret put pressure on my shoulder and said some words of encouragement with each wave. I knew we were going to leave soon. Julie arrived and asked to time a couple waves. After the very close second pressure wave she said “Yeah…I think we should go”. We quickly gathered rest of our things (most were already in the car). I wanted to get our things and get to the car before another pressure wave hit. Walking out the door, I stopped and reminded Bret this would be our last time in the house before this life changing event. This was just after 10 PM.

The drive. Oh the drive. I kept thinking about my friend Rebecca and how she said even her short drive to the hospital was not fun. Our drive would be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Speaking of time. I knew it was dark, but had no clue what time it was. I lost all concept of time. Time was measured in 5 minute increments to me. The hour didn’t matter, only the time between each wave. While driving we text everyone and said we were on our way to the hospital. In our mind we had, not only the hour drive, but probably hours of birthing at the hospital. We didn’t want to tell everyone too soon in case it would be a while. During the drive, with each wave, Bret would put his hand on my shoulder and try to help me work through it. Julie said she knew every time I had one because Bret would swerve a little. I felt like I was pushing my foot through the floor board. On the outside, I was apparently cool and calm, but on the inside I was a total mess. Things were getting very intense. I listened to everything I could to relax and it would work for a while, then I started to worry we wouldn’t make it in time. I started playing mind games with myself.

We get to the hospital and Bret pulls to the front door. We get out, I get in a wheel chair (I had thought I would walk up, but was over that by this point). I won’t let Bret leave to get our stuff until Julie is by my side. Julie arrives within the minute and Bret gets rest of our stuff from the car. I order…um ask nicely…for Bret to forget the car – he leaves it parked right at the front door of the hospital (where it stayed until after Steff was born and a friend asked if we wanted them to move it). They both help me through a very intense wave (I don’t know what I would do without either one). I give the okay and we make our way to check in.

This whole time I feel like I’m looking and acting like a mess, but no one knew because I was so calm on the outside. This still amazes me because I really thought I was a mess. I broke out of my tranquil, calm, self, to let the lady at check in know that I was serious and needed to get back immediately. FYI…if you let them know this, they will hurry. She asked if I was in a lot of pain. I wanted to stay positive, but also knew that I needed to get back quickly. “Yes…yes…I’m in pain” made it’s way out of my mouth. Then I kept telling myself “pressure, not pain. Pressure, not pain.” Then…I closed my eyes. Everything was a blur. I left my eyes closed pretty much until Steff was on my belly. I opened them to see the room and to look Julie and Bret in the eyes when I thought I couldn’t do it.

Once in the room, I was hooked up to the monitor to check on Steffen’s heart rate. A cervical exam was also done to see how far I had come and how much I had to go. You can imagine my dismay when I was only dilated to 3 cm’s. 3!!! I knew I had a while, but jeeze. The worse part though, Steff was not digging the pressure waves. I listened as my baby’s heart beat would drop so far down that I thought it was going to stop completely. I was only 3 cm and I had to get my baby out. I had asked to not be hooked up to an IV and to only be hooked to the monitors for a short bit, but with this, everything changed. Whatever they said they needed to do, I said ok. Bret and Julie would, thankfully, ask all questions for me. I was so lost because all I could think about was that heart beat. I’ll never forget that sound. I couldn’t focus through the pressure waves at this point. They were too close together and too hard. I was shivering and couldn’t stop. I had to pee so bad that I couldn’t stand it and wasn’t able to get off the monitor. Truly the worst part for me was the shivering and the pee. I couldn’t concentrate. I laid there thinking I couldn’t do this and I needed an epidural. I thought there was no way I could do this for hours. Everything was happening too fast. I had no time in between to refocus. (Side note…I definitely do not think there’s anything wrong with epidurals, it’s just not what I wanted. Everything had been so clinical for us. I wanted something to be as natural as possible. And I knew that, although my body was screwed up and it took forever to get pregnant, that didn’t mean anything was wrong with me pregnant. Also note that the only reason I asked for an epidural was because I thought the long, strong, and close together waves were going to go on for hours. Just in case you’re someone who’s thinking “I knew she would ask for an epidural”.)

I looked at Bret and Julie and calmly said “I can’t do this. I want an epidural.” Everything was back to back at this point. Almost constant. The nurses and Bret gave Melissa an update. Everyone thought it would be a while, but with Steff’s heart beat dropping, she thought it best to come on. Once there, she checked and said “have you been feeling pushy?” I said that I had, but thought it was too soon and was holding back. Julie asked how far I was and she said “10. You’re complete. He’s here. Once I break your water, he’s here.” For the first time, I cried (this was tears of relief) and said “He’s here?” She asked if I was sure I wanted the epidural right as the antistesiologist walked in. I said if he was here I didn’t need it. Looking back, I should’ve known I was already in transition. Shivering from the hormones, pressure waves so close together. Julie always said that we don’t birth by numbers and just hearing the numbers (dilation, etc) can be discouraging. It really messed with my mind that’s for sure. I should’ve just trusted my body.

As everyone was scurrying around, I looked at Julie and said I didn’t think I could do this. She said “You’ve done it. Open your eyes. Look at everyone running around. That means he’s here.” With another pressure wave, I said I couldn’t hold my pee any more and that I was just going to do it. I peed everywhere and felt like a million dollars. This is what was holding me back. With this, I lost rest of my “mucus plug” (gross). I also started to be much louder (I was afraid I had scared all the other women on the floor) and said with a growl “peace” as I would breath through each wave (and eventually breath out during the pushes). Melissa broke my water and the party really got started. Bret was to the right of me. Julie was to the left. Bret held my head and my right leg. Julie held my left. I had no idea how to push. It wasn’t like what I had read (probably because Steff was so small and there was less pressure from him). It didn’t feel like my body was taking over and pushing. I had to make it happen. Melissa said to hold my legs and curl my body around Steff and push him out. I couldn’t hold my legs, instead I held Bret and Julie and almost broke their arms. Bret said he couldn’t believe how strong I was and that it took all his strength to hold me. They were each reminding me to breath and giving me cues to relax. I truly thought that there was no way I was going to push him out. With each push I thought if he wasn’t out, he wasn’t coming out. Bret said he could see everything and it was amazing. It was like what was going on “down there” was completely separate from me.

While pushing, Steff’s heart rate continued to drop each time. Our midwife said that he didn’t like the pressure waves and I had to get him out now. That with the next push I needed to push as hard as I could. She turned around, a pressure wave came at the same time. I decided that was it and he was coming out now. I screamed and pushed with everything inside me. This is what God made me to do. This was it. I didn’t care what happened to me. God gave me the power and he was out. She literally turned around with my scream and caught him. There was no moment of his head coming out and then me pushing again to get his body out. He was out. Bret said Melissa calmly unwrapped the tiny cord from his body and laid him on my belly. I later found out that it was not only wrapped around his neck, but up under and around his arms, his body…everything.

I opened my eyes. He was here. On my belly…not inside it. I ripped my gown open and asked for him to be on my chest. He went to my chest and everyone started to dry him off. He started to cry and I shushed him to calm him as I had so many other babies. I was finally calming my own. They asked Bret if he wanted to cut the cord and he asked if that was okay for him to do (I thought that was so cute). He cut the cord and we were in pure bliss.

Here’s my most prized possession. A quick video Julie thought to get with my phone. I edited it to remove all nipple shots. For those reading this through email, you will have to watch it at http://vimeo.com/38135861.

Our photographer, Amy, arrived just after his first cries, which was about the same time that we had thought to get my camera. She says she had never seen someone so calm and that I handled the stitches with just a flinch (the only reason those were even needed was because of my last crazy push).

We arrived at the hospital around 11 PM. He was born at 12:32 AM. I couldn’t believe it was August 7th. I pushed for maybe 20 minutes (which is suppose to be fast for a first time momma).

I asked if I could start nursing him. This came much more natural for him than it did for me. It felt a little more awkward than I thought it would. He wasn’t quite interested yet, but pretended for a bit.

During this time Bret went to let everyone know he was here. Andrea had stopped in the room at some point and I had yelled that no one was allowed in. She thought for sure this was going to go on forever and that I was going to be in that much “pain” for that long. They were all in complete shock that he was already here.

My sister and aunt were on their way from my home town. I talked to them on the phone after Bret came back and cried for the first time since Steff was born. They arrived just in time to come back when everyone else got to.

After realizing Steff was much more interested in the world than nursing at this moment, I asked Bret if he wanted to hold him. His heart swelled with pride. It was beautiful.

They took him to the warmer (which was in our room) and did the initial tests.

Bret took his shirt off for some skin to skin with Daddy. I couldn’t get over how excited he was to do this (for anyone who knows Bret, he acted like he does when he’s getting pumped up for a football game, with a little bounce…not quite a hop…and a clap…I was waiting for a “woo” to bust out).

We attempted breastfeeding again and he latched right on like a champ (within 30 minutes of being born).

Steffen nursed for 30 minutes and we had wanted to wait for him to finish before having everyone come in (he also cut our visit short with everyone because he wanted to nurse some more and he continues to be an awesome eater to this day). Watching him being passed around between some of the people who love him the most still makes my heart smile.

My sister Myca got to hold him first and then Bret’s sister Chasity. Everyone talked about how tiny and perfect he was.

My sister Keisha and our best friend John stuck around til the wee hours that morning. We talked. We laughed. We celebrated what we had all waited for so long. We kept Steff with us until around 8 am when they took him to bathe and see the pediatrician. I am forever grateful to St. Joes East for this special time with our baby. I remember Bret saying that he was so happy he felt like his chest was going to explode. That it was a different kind of happiness than our wedding day. I remember waking up to him telling Steff about “sleepy town” and rocking in the chair while telling him all about who we are and who his family is.

It was beautiful. It wasn’t what I imagined…I didn’t know what to imagine. It was perfect. I got exactly what I wanted. A perfect healthy baby, with the least amount of intervention possible. Later Melissa said that if the birth had gone on longer (which if I had an epidural and things slowed down, it probably would have), I would have had to have a C-section (which, of course, isn’t the end of the world, just not what I had wanted) because of the cord and his heart rate. It’s just another reminder that everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t change our journey. It’s ours. He’s ours. He’s. Ours. I can’t believe it. I will end this with a full heart and the knowledge that all things are possible with the love of God. Thank you.

Cilla and Bret

So, here are the details…

* 50% off individual high resolution images on CD w/ unlimited personal printing privileges and 5×7 printed proof

* 50% off full session of high resolution images on CD w/ unlimited personal printing privileges and 5×7 printed proofs (proof box not included)

Contact me at priscilla@priscillabphotography.com for more info.

This is one of my favorite clients that I get to see at least once a year. Each year it seems like it was just yesterday that I had seen them, except our little man A looks like a completely different baby/toddler. I get the opportunity to meet the newest member of the family this Friday, but in the mean time, here are a few peeks from their maternity session.

See you soon!

Peace and so much love,

Cilla

Side note…We have like 3 sheets on his bed. We have a sheet. An ultimate sheet. Another sheet. Then I felt like the sheet was cold, so I put down a warm blanket stuffed down in the rail like a sheet. Ridiculous. I know. And…I know bumpers are controversial (as is everything about parenting). We started with no bumper. Then he managed to move enough to get arms and legs caught in the rails (we would wake up to him crying). We then moved to a breathable bumper which we loved. Now that he’s rolling all over the place, we like him having the extra padding to roll into. Plus we have a movement monitor (if he stops “moving” or breathing, it will sound an alarm) with video. Definitely not suggesting everyone go out and get a bumper, but it’s what works for us and Steff now that he’s moving about

Well, this is obviously not from our morning, but when I think about this smile, I think about our mornings. Now, this picture was taken just before we left to go out to eat. We haven’t been out of the house a lot lately and he loves being out and about. This is one of maybe two times he’s ever had a collar on. Oh…my…doesn’t he look like a big boy?

Soooo….here we go (note that sometimes I will say a lot and sometimes I will say nothing at all)…

Week 1:52

Starting solids. Ask the parents you know, read books, read online sources, they all have a different opinion. Once our pediatrician said to not start solids until 6 months, we were dead set on following his advice. But then Steff’s sleep (which hadn’t been great for us) started getting progressively worse. Then he started giving us the “give me your food or die” eyes. Then the Mommy guilt set in for eating in front of him. He was already showing all the other signs of being ready for solids. That’s when we decided he was ready. He wasn’t ready before that. It was nice because we felt completely confident in the decision once we started. We celebrated his 5 month birthday with sweet potatoes. We’re cooking and pureeing all of his food in batch and freezing it in little cubes. When we’re ready to feed him, we take a cube out and heat it up. Easy-peasy. So far we’ve tried sweet potatoes, avocados, rice cereal, butternut squash, peas, and now bananas. He hates peas unless it’s mixed with squash and cereal. He LOVES bananas and says “mmmmm” every time (which he hasn’t done with any other food). We love making his food. It’s so easy and so cheap!

I adore this picture. Love the way his hands are folded and the way he’s looking up at Bret. I especially love those big blue eyes and the sweet potatoes all over his face.

Week 2:52

Okay, so you have all seen this first picture. It’s the official 2:52 picture. Steff got to see his first real snow. He sat in his bouncy and just stared out this window. I also love Bret and Steff’s relationship. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

Week 2:52 option 2

I was torn between the picture above and this one. This picture was taken moments before he rolled from his back to his belly for the first time. I put his favorite toys just out of his reach (I know…evil mommy). Who knew that’s all it would take. He had been rolling from his belly to his back for a while, which was causing lots of sleepless nights. There was a big celebration in our house this day.

3:52

I love him. And his slobbers.

1. YES…I am still working. To tell the truth, I wasn’t sure if the business would survive my maternity leave. I was so nervous, but knew it’s what we all needed. We made it through and I was crazy busy with one thing or another right up to Christmas and after. Determined to fit in as much as I could. We’re now in the slow time that all photographers have and I’m getting ready for rest of 2012…which is already looking to be off to a great start.

2. MINI SESSIONS ARE UP ON THE CALENDAR! I have a couple locations blank. I wanted to finalize a couple things before announcing those locations. Don’t forget that some mini dates book up faster than others. April, July fair sessions, any Keeneland sessions, and October holiday sessions (I know…October is early for the holidays, but it’s truly the best time to do it and I have an AWESOME location this year). See the calendar HERE.

3. If you are wanting a Signature Session in June, you should be thinking about booking now because that month is going to be jam packed. We have minis, a bachelor/bachelorette party, my sister-in-laws wedding, and vacation. Busy…busy month.

4. Have you seen my new assistant lately? He’s getting chubby. I keep telling him to lay off the chips and chocolates, but he just won’t listen.

5. He’s sitting! He’s sitting! We like to say “go Steff…go Steff…go go…go Steff”. Yeah…he’s pretty much celebrated 24/7.

6. We’ve started solids and we’ve so loved making his food. It’s easy. You know exactly what’s in it. It’s healthy. It’s cheap. I have to admit, Bret has done most of it. I came home one day and he was steaming and pureeing up a storm. I didn’t complain.

7. He loves to bounce and occasionally passes out while bouncing. Sleep has been a struggle for us from the beginning. Granted, not for anyone else, but he hates to nap in this house. I *think* we’ve kinda figured it out now. Steff isn’t the “needs wind down time” type of baby. He’s the “party until I pass out” type of baby. And party doesn’t just mean nice, calm playing. It really means dancing, singing, wrestling…with mommy and daddy…while also wearing them completely out.

8. I love these two. I could cry just typing that. Yes, having a baby can make things a little more stressful between a husband and wife, but goodness, I wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s the daddy I always thought he would be. Steff adores him. He even wimpered when Bret was leaving for work the other day. It was so cute and so pitiful at the same time. I never imagined how much my heart would grow with the birth of Steff, but my oh my has it.

Now…I promise to try and be the blogger I’ve always wanted to be too . I’m working on it…I’m working on it. Just hang in there with me. I’ll love you for it always.

Peace and so much love,

Cilla