Living Our Love Song

Instagram photo dump & Adios!

2012-03-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Be back in a week! Time for a much needed vacay with the family!!

Baby chunks in bathing suits photos to come ;) Adios!

Favorite Photo of February

2012-02-27T21:20:00.004-05:00

This has to be my favorite photo of February :)

It's the first time I have achieved the head in hands pose, and I'm pretty darn proud of it!

P.S. I probably won't be around for a little while. We are headed to the beautiful beach of Cancun with my family, nephew & 4 neices... ahhh....

Instagram Friday & New Baby

2012-02-24T13:23:00.004-05:00

mini shoot. hanging out at work with momma. getting lunch with Auntie Lori.

first strawberry- biggest hit ever. "oh hey mom". baby girl passed out while mommy edits photos.

Oh and here is my new 'baby' :) :)

She is AWESOME.

These were the first photos.

I had the ISO high for these- I think around 1000. I was shocked at the low noise level when I zoomed in on the computer. She is sharp and freaking fast. I was waiting for a second 'click' then realized the picture was taken twenty seconds prior. Oh I am in l.o.v.e. I have the stomach flu, thinking it's the "norovirus" going around (aka I'm sick as a dog). So I've barely moved from the couch but I can't wait to play some more- preferably in better light to showcase her skills!

My Photography Blog site!

2012-02-19T15:22:00.003-05:00

I finally have my own little photography corner of the world wide web :)
It has a ways to go (including uploading all previous sessions) but I was too excited to get it fully fixed up before sharing!
So here it is!!
Jessica Lacey Photography

I would be posting many client sessions on here anymore! But I had to also share this cuteness from over the weekend!

5 months old

2012-02-16T22:45:00.002-05:00

Oh, baby girl. Your personality is beginning to show! It was the best month yet. You laugh much more- at silly things, like putting your hand in daddy's mouth, mommy or daddy blowing on your belly, your cousin Hayden making silly faces, peek-a-boo, or just about anything you think is funny enough! You continue to find funny faces and noises to make. Your little voice is adorable. I love when you 'talk'.
You grab onto everything now. My hair being the main victim. But you're really starting to 'play' with toys. Reaching out, grasping, and shaking them.
You're still loving those fingers and you drool like crazy. I would not be surprised if a tooth popped through soon.

You love to roll yourself to your side real fast but have not yet rolled from back to tummy, just tummy to back! You're pretty good at tummy time. Though it's not your preferred position.
You are in size 3-6 and 6 month outfits. Wearing size 2 diapers. 15lbs even- according to our scale at home.

You eat 4oz every 3 hours. And we started on foods! Besides rice and cereal you have eaten carrots (you hated), baby yogurt (hated), apple sauce (not too bad), and sweet potatoes (you liked). I can tell you are going to be a picky little girl!

Nighttime has been going GREAT. Thank goodness. You are so easy to put to bed- never a fuss about it. Still sleeping in the bassinet. One day very soon we will be trying out your crib. We have to... you're outgrowing the bassinet. I will be sad. I love having you next to me.
You still lovvvee Goodnight Moon so we read that every night. You go to bed around 8:30-9pm and lately won't wake up until 4am! Then you go back to sleep until 7-7:30. Mommy loves this new schedule.

5 month photos....

*To get yourself (well your baby- unless you want one I'm sure she can make bigger sizes ;)) one of these cute hat/diaper cover sets see Caterpillar Family! She also make scarves and headbands!

You are such a sweet girl. I can't ever imagine life without you now. I love your beautiful eyes, goofy smile, and crazy tongue. You are absolutely gorgeous. And I don't think I'm just being biased by saying that ;)
Happy 5 Months Addison Mae.

someone's ticklish :)

2012-02-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

the valentine's post.

2012-02-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

hope you have a happy love filled day

addison mae.

Guest Posting...

2012-02-06T07:30:00.006-05:00

We're all a little excited. Today I am guest posting over at Living like the Kings! I love Kat's blog, and she has a *very cute* Addison too :) Go check out my post and her blog!

oh, and we were trying on her bathing suit for the beach in a few weeks!!!

lookin' good A baby, lookin' good ;)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-02-05T18:45:00.001-05:00

Sorry, most are repeats. I will try to do next weeks hunt with all new photos!

Strike a pose

she'll learn soon enough ;)

Footwear

client's boots

Hobby

my love for photography, though it's turned into a side job!

Shiny

my baby's pearly blues

Green

well shades of green... mostly teal but close enough ;)

the weekly shoot :)

2012-02-03T16:25:00.002-05:00

yep it's that time again.

and introducing her funny face it also comes with a silly motor noise and blowing bubbles. she thinks she's hilarious when she does it :)

all for now ;)

iphone captures

2012-02-02T22:41:00.001-05:00

i would like to thank my iphone for always being there and capturing little moments with her. it's not always easy or possible to have the big camera with me. and although i love to dress her up, pose her on cute props, and edit her photos, there is nothing like the real life snapshots on my phone. seriously, look how big she's already gotten. taking a photo of her daily isn't even enough. gah i love that girl.

Photog. Session {Portrait}

2012-01-30T16:47:00.005-05:00

& my3boybarians sweet shoot tuesday!

some new props!

2012-01-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

I've been picking up some props here and there lately. And, well, I had to test them out :)

of course she decided it was smiley mood time...

so this is what happens when I try to shoot without looking through the camera in order to get a little one :) normally I would not cut off that much head!

oh and she despises the bumbo. So it was extra hard to get a smile throughout these! Can't wait until she can sit up on her own!

little chunk ;)

I.LOVE.this picture. Could be one of my all time favorites. It's (technically) no where near perfect but there's something about it that makes my heart skip a beat. Entering in the Paper Mama challenge.

little piggies.

photography answers

2012-01-27T20:06:00.005-05:00

Thank you for your questions. I still have a lot to learn but I'm happy to share to those just starting out what I have learned so far, and what works for me. Hope you find this helpful.

Do you edit/color adjust eyes? Do you know how to do it in LR?
I often do edit eyes. Just a touch though. I really can not stand googly alien eyes! If you overdo the eyes it looks so unnatural. I do not know how to do it in LR yet. I do them in PSE, if needed.
In this photo I used PW's "bring out the eyes" action at a very low opacity.

I would say it depends if they need to be sharpened/brightened! Just please do NOT overdo them!!

How do you get such tack sharp focus?
1. One of the biggest ways I have improved my photography was learning how to properly focus. For awhile I depended solely on auto-area AF. Which isn't bad. But I wanted to nail the eyes (or whatever else I wanted sharpest in the photo). So I switched to single-point AF and haven't looked back. I toggle my way around for the focus to land exactly where I want. You can read about that here!

Take this photo. If I would have let auto focus choose I could have missed this moment. But I locked focus on the little boy and therefore kept him in focus.

2. High Pass Filter for sharpening. In PSE-- Hit Ctrl + J.---then go up to Filter->Other-> High Pass (I usually pick 3-4 you want to see a light outline of your image), then pick soft light (where your layers are) and adjust the opacity down to 30% (or whatever looks best without sharpening too much)

3. Get the right exposure by watching your meter in your slr. As said in my previous post underexposing can really ruin a photo. And of course a low shutter speed. I use at least 1/200 second for moving subjects. Though if possible I like to go higher.

4. For my Facebook and blog I use Paint the Moon's PSE action FB resize. It sizes the photo down to the right upload size and sharpens it. You can get that for free HERE -just become a fan!

What picture size is the best? On my Nikon d3000 there are options to take pictures in small, medium, and large.
In shoot in large. I figure it will come in handy if I wanted to crop way in on a shot.

What posts were most helpful for you when learning?
Honestly, I learned a lot by just reading a ton of photography blogs. Somewhere along the lines I would find a helpful tip here and there. So I can't point out exact posts, sorry.
But I did read a lot of Pioneer Woman's photography posts. And pretty much any Ashley Sisk post for post processing! Ashley is seriously awesome. Thanks Ashley!

During a session like this, how often are you evaluating the photos you just took and tweaking your settings? Do you pick your settings at the beginning of a session and stick with them? Aren't you afraid of missing that perfect moment because you're fussing with your camera? Maybe it's just because I'm slow in manual mode right now, but my daughter is long gone by the time I get all my settings the way I want them, and that's just at the beginning - I don't even try to evaluate things midway through. But then I run the risk of having a whole batch turn out off. Surely you've run into this with older children, right? Thoughts? Advice?
Yes, I try to check for just about every shot. You never know if the light has slightly changed. Which could definitely ruin many precious moments. 'Usually I will have my ISO and aperture set to where I want, and as long as nothing major changes, I toggle my shutter speed to right the right exposure each time. You can do that without pulling the camera back, but I'd still suggest checking your image and histogram every few shots. You will get faster in manual with practice.
This little boy did not want to smile or even look at the camera. So I had followed him around while his mommy tried everything to get him to crack a smile. You never know when that will happen. Thankfully, my settings were right on and I was able to get this photo.

Can you tell children are my favorite to photograph? Toughest clients, but most rewarding!

my little model+ quick photo lesson

2012-01-24T19:31:00.003-05:00

I struggle in low light so I've been practicing a lot with Addison as my model to produce better indoor photos. I took these photos in her room right next to her window at 4pm when the sun was shining in just right. I used a reflector to bounce light onto her face. I made sure my exposure was spot on or just a notch overexposed. I hate turning up my ISO past 400 but after many previous failed attempts and ending up with grainy, underexposed pictures, I set it on 800. It really helped and there was a lot less noise then I thought there would be, or there would have been when trying to brighten it afterwards. So manual users (even though I've read it a million times and never listened) do not be afraid to higher your ISO!

35mm ISO 800 2.8/f & shutter speed varied between 1/100 and 1/300 sec.

Since I've had a couple followers e-mail me asking me some photography questions I figured I would do a post in the near future to answer a few. So leave a comment if you have a photography question. Again, I'm still learning myself, but I know when I was trying to figure it all out in the beginning I received a wealth of information off of other blogs. So I want to try and return the favor for those who just picked up their first dslr :)

you can find my Facebook photography page here: Jessica Lacey Photography, I appreciate 'likes' :)

& yes, she does get near weekly photo shoots. I think she's already getting used to it :) We have another this Friday at a little studio I am super excited about!

Printsgram+Pinterest+Crochet Hats

2012-01-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

I'm seriously addicted to instagram, and what a neat way to put all those photos together!

how cool?!
if you have instagram just go here: printsgram it takes literally two minutes or less to make!
find me on instagram: jeskapug

pinterest. also addicted. I'm finally getting the hang of it- only took a year ha.

Some things I'm pinning...

This DIY canvas for cheap!

Sugar Bee Crafts

I want to make this for Addison's 1st Birthday (can't believe I'm thinking of that already!)

Some scrapbook paper, ribbons and tape! Easy peasy.

cake

Oh if only my baby were a sound sleeper...

Jessica Vaughn Photography linked to Confessions of a Prop Junkie

And this is just seriously beautiful. I hope to be able to capture a photo like this of Addison when she's older. Saving to my files for a reminder.

Soft Rains of April

I mostly venture through photography boards because I'm really not crafty. But I'm getting into it... maybe I'll try my hand at a couple projects in the near future...

follow me.

And finally. In case anyone was wondering about some of Addison's crochet hats..

a good friend of mine makes them customized! They are also nicely affordable. Caterpillar Family.

Head over to her FB page and send her a message to get your little one a cute hat :)you won't be disappointed!

the big laugh.

2012-01-23T19:52:00.000-05:00

finally,
i knew it was cooped up in there waiting to come out
grandma & grandpa came to visit one evening
and apparently grandma is super funny
because you started laughing so hard.
i quickly grabbed my phone and hit record
so happy i have this video to repeat over, and over, and over.

yes, she looks at me with a big frown a couple times-
like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

she now laughs almost daily-
and i promise you i look so ridiculous trying to make her :)

first snow

2012-01-22T18:24:00.003-05:00

just a little snow, but enough to get outside for a picture :)

mini shoot with littles

2012-01-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

a quick set up and a few snaps. didn't get exactly what I was looking for but still cute enough :)

nakie baby <3

no title

2012-01-20T17:26:00.000-05:00

my whole heart. my beautiful daughter.

an iphone capture.

Photog. Session {Family}

2012-01-18T16:07:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I had my second session of the new year! It was freezing outside but we made it work, and all the kiddos were troopers! Even the tiny two month old :)

beautiful family.

my beauty.

2012-01-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

there is something about this photo I love. maybe the simplicity...maybe her content look...or her tiny hand on her belly, whatever it is I just keep coming back to it.

entering in the Paper Mama challenge: White

4 Month Photos

2012-01-14T11:44:00.005-05:00

click 'grow baby' tab to see prior months!
previous post has updates and stats!

4 Months

2012-01-14T11:40:00.000-05:00

My little four month old!

You are 13lbs 11oz and 24inches; 50% weight and 25% height.
You are in 3 month and 3-6 month clothes & size 2 diapers.

A typical day

ha who are we fooling there is no 'typical' day with you ;)

But here's what I consider normal right now...

You eat about 3 1/2-4oz every 2-3 hours during the day. Every once in awhile you still fight your bottles, for no apparent reason.

At night you have a bottle around 9pm, Mommy reads you Goodnight Moon with only the light from your glow-worm, I kiss you goodnight, and then watch you in the monitor play with your hands until you fall asleep. You wake up around 2am for a feeding then 6am. You usually go back to sleep until 9am :) Patiently waiting for the day you decide to cut out the 2am feeding...

You are your happiest in the mornings, by far. You coo and smile non-stop when you wake up. Our morning are always pleasant. You sit in your high chair while I clean your bottles, eat breakfast, and feed Roxy. Then you have your bottle and we go on with our day.

You like your vibrating chair, your swing, Sophie the giraffe, Jacques the peacock, and your blankies.

You dislike NAPS. Oh baby girl how I wish you would nap more! Two 30 minute naps are not enough! When you nap good you are in a better mood! Just something to think about my little one... plus your friends say it's the cool thing to do ;)

This month you have been sucking on your hands and drooling a lot. You still have that crazy tongue that you're always sticking out. & You are getting much better at tummy time! You also flip over to your back!

You're getting to the fun age. Playful and curious. I love it! I can't wait to see what you learn to do this month. You watch me eat and mimic my mouth. I gave you a little rice cereal and you seemed to really like it. We may try that once a day now and hopefully at 5 months try some veges!

enough instagram photos for ya? no? well here are more.

official month 4 photos coming soon~

sick.

2012-01-11T15:59:00.000-05:00

Two nights ago Addison woke up screaming, I felt how hot she was immediately, temperature was 101. After searching the house at 3am for ten minutes without my glasses on (I was in panic mode) I found her medicine. The rest of the night was rough. I called her ped in the morning and they wanted to see her. What a nightmare it is to have a sick baby checked out. This first time mama was not prepared for all the fussing and screaming. After being poked and prodded everywhere, two hours later it appears to be just a cold- thank goodness!

my miserable baby at the doctors -waiting for her to pee.

I didn't feel well either. And by this morning I felt like I got hit by a train, everything hurts and medicine isn't working. I haven't felt this horrible in a long time. Addison's fever is staying down with medicine, she also has a runny nose and watery eyes. My poor baby, I hate to see her sick. I thought we could escape this crazy bug and sickness going around but we didn't get so lucky. Hope we are back to normal soon- because this is just no.fun.

this morning after another tough night- how we ended up sleeping.

Photog. Session {Family}

2012-01-09T19:10:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun with this family. They are such great people and they have an amazing connection to each other that can be easily seen through their photos.

I Heart Faces: Best Face of 2011

2012-01-09T17:56:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite photos of 2011.

Silly girl talking

2012-01-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

This morning Addison woke up with a new type of voice. She kept repeating so I quickly pulled out the handy iphone to catch some of it on video.

I think the best thing about it was she knew she was being funny ;)

happy tuesday.

2012-01-03T11:44:00.004-05:00

Memories, Dreams & Reflections 2011

2012-01-01T08:00:00.007-05:00

I will warn you that 90% of these prompts will be Addison. and then most of them are from the day she was born :)

My proudest moment of 2011? This, by far.

I Love You -

so much.

Winter Wonderland
Last January 2011, No snow yet so far this season!

Birthday

maybe misleading. this was me on MY birthday :) best gift ever!

Friends
My nephews (transformers) and their friend!

I Was Inspired...

by Pinterest to make this.

Spring Fever

one of my favorite flower shots I've done. Maybe I'll get around to taking photos of other things besides Addison one day, maybe not :)

Travel or Vacation

my nephew last March in Cancun

Summer Days

My brother in law and nephew last summer at the beach!

A Day In My Life

baby, chores, errands, and part-time work

All Smiles

one day old, she gave the camera a big smile. I always smile at this photo.

Autumn Harvest
Thanksgiving Day

Family or Home

Celebrate!
right after I had Addison family swarmed in to celebrate her arrival!

Let's Do It Again...

Hubby's family in Myrtle Beach over the summer, it was a fun time!

I Miss You

Cancun, not my nephew- I get to see him all the time ;) we will be back soon though!

& I miss being pregnant!

Beautiful
there is really nothing more beautiful to me.

Dress Up

my cute niece Olivia!

Macro
love the simplicity and bokeh in this shot

Holidays

My Favorite

I debated publishing this one, due to it being slightly graphic. but it could possibly be my favorite picture. and it's definitely my favorite memory. ever. So thankful my BFF was there to capture so many awesome moments of this day.

and this one is also a favorite..

Don't Ever Change
I just like this one of my nieces!

Just Because...So There!

Such a special time in our life, I loved being pregnant.

Hopes and Dreams

My number one hope and dream is that this little girl has a wonderful year full of firsts, that she grows big (even if it kills me), and stays happy and healthy!

You will find that last year's 2010 Memories, Dreams & Reflections had many more variety of subjects- Pre-Addison :)

this weeks iphone favorites

2011-12-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

We visited the doc's today because she has been really fighting her bottles lately. Fussing and turning away at every feeding-it was becoming a nightmare to feed her! Basically all that was said though is she's congested. And of course she took her bottle straight down without a problem at the doctors! And since then has done well with them. Oh well it was nice to know everything else looks healthy because they speculated maybe an ear infection. Ears, eyes, lungs checked out good! Seems like everyone is getting sick or has been sick this past week. My poor sweet 14 month old niece was in the hospital all day- dehydrated from bronchitis and laryngitis! I believe every one of my 6 nieces and nephews have been sick lately! So I was that much happier to hear that Addison is just congested. A vaporizer and saline drops should help. Hope you and your family are well!

(my Christmas gift from the Vintage Pearl!)

Have a Happy & Safe New Year!

Top 11 of 11

2011-12-28T10:18:00.000-05:00

Linking up to Naptime Momtog for the Top 11 of 2011 photos you have taken of your children! Even though she has only been here three short months, it was still hard choosing only 11! Everyone knows how many photos this little girl has already ;) Here are my favorites...I think...

The Christmas photo post

2011-12-27T16:59:00.000-05:00

We had such a great Christmas. There's nothing better than giving, being with family, and great food. I guess the receiving part is pretty awesome too ;) And we all received lots of goodies. So thankful for all of my family. I slacked on getting many pictures of action shots, I was too busy opening.. or being with Addison. It was such a joy to be a mommy this time and be so excited for her more than myself, even though she has no idea what's going on...I pretended like she did :) So here's my Christmas photo overload.

as you can see, it's ALL about Addison now!

there are more. somewhere, waiting to be edited.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

so lucky.

2011-12-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

Every time I look at her I can't help but feel lucky. I still can't believe she's mine. I was never able to picture what she would look like when I was pregnant and now I know why. I couldn't possibly picture anything so beautiful.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays.
We will be enjoying our little girl's first.
We are so lucky.

not quite worldess wednesday

2011-12-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

Addison, one week old
A photo I took of her but never shared. The more I look at it now the more I love it.

I already miss the newborn look
but I'm amazed at my beautiful growing baby.

I never knew how much the simple things she has and will learn to do would make my heart so happy.

And this grin. AH.

As much as I her big gummy smiles,

I pretty much just fold in half when she does this face.

iphone photo dump (non-friday)

2011-12-19T19:09:00.006-05:00

love.

good to WOW: Christmas shot

2011-12-15T16:48:00.006-05:00

This is my first 'good to Wow' link up! The SOOC shot was pretty bad. I didn't think I managed to get any good ones after my short session with Addison this morning. Why is it always harder with your own kid? She didn't have much patience with me! But after just a little tweaking I think it came out pretty nice!

SOOC shot:

bubbly tongue smile- seems to be her new thing :)

what I did...

opened in LR

adjusted WB, brightened it a bit +40 and added a little contrast +10, +20 fill light, and +3 saturation

cropped- I did not want herout of focus/blurry arm in the picture!

opened in PSE

cloned a couple bokeh lights to add more

ran Florida action from Everyday Elements

sharpened her eyes just a touch using PW's action

used a high pass filter with overlay at 30% opacity

saved

my result:

& here are two others I liked..

this one was a quick attempt, baby girl was starting to get fussy :)

I may try one more shoot before the Christmas lights are done and over with! momma still has some ideas up her sleeve ;)

also linking up to:

Three Month Update

2011-12-15T12:04:00.000-05:00

Where did the time go? She is no longer an infant, but a baby. A cute one I might add.

She has become a smiley little girl and loves to talk to you. And had her first big laugh when her Aunt Jenn was tickling her- cutest.sound.ever. Her daddy just happened to be on the phone with me so he was able to hear it too! She is starting to love her toys. She swats and kicks them and then smiles. She love love loves her blankets- she will light up with excitement when you give her it and grab onto it with both hands. Rarely will she take a bink -kind of makes me sad because I love a bink face :)

I would guess her weight to be around 12lbs. She is in 3 months clothes and is just getting into size 2 diapers. She still has her pretty blue eyes and ~~out of place~~ super cute dimples. She can hold her head up very well. She hates tummy time, but will sometimes nap on her belly. Speaking of naps-twenty minute cat naps here and there are her thing- no long daytime naps for her *hoping that changes soon.* She won't take a good nap during the day unless were out! She is usually a great 'on the go' baby. She loves her car seat and the white noise.

SLEEP. She falls asleep around 9pm. A few nights ago she did her first sleep through the night- 9 whole hours. I can not tell you have excited I was. Though that seems to have been a big tease. Since then she has been getting up 2-3 times a night again to eat :/ Looking forward to her sleeping through the night more often... come on Addison, you can do it! Right now she spends half the night in her boppy on the couch (while hub is awake) and then by my bedside in her bassinet. Once she drops a feeding for good I will put her solely in the bassinet. But right now hubby can feed her if she gets up to eat before 2am.

She loves that rain forest vibrating/play chair. She smiles at the monkey that moves back and forth every day :)

I think that sums her up right now. Oh and she loves her mommy (&& daddy) for sure ;)

I love her so much and feel so lucky to be her mommy.

her lovely wall canvas came in, so excited to start decorating her walls.

if you can't tell I'm addicted to instagram: jeskapug

cookie tradition

2011-12-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

Every year hubby's family has a huge cookie baking day just prior to Christmas. Somehow hubby & I always end up late but get there just in time to make candy cane cookies and decorate the sugar cookies! And of course pack up tins to take home :)

Addison & her Great Grandma during her 1st Christmas cookie baking day! Grandma has been doing this tradition for sixty plus years.

The ladies who baked minus hubby's aunt.

& me with my sleepy baby girl :)

looking forward to many more years of this tradition...

I'm excited that next year Addison will get to have a little nibble! ;)

now time to devour some before bedtime!

thank you pinterest.

2011-12-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

I loved an idea I found on Pinterest and I had a minute to myself tonight after I put the little one to bed.

I could have taken a little more time to perfect it, but I think it's 'good enough'.

This idea was for an announcement but I'm going to print this out and hang it on her wall!

overall it was super easy and I'm glad I took a minute to do it!

gah, I can't believe my tiny girl will be three whole months soon!

Baby Bokeh

2011-12-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

The other day I had a spur of the moment urge to take Addison's photo by the tree. I put her on the boppy with a nice blanket and starting shooting. There was no real set up, and she wasn't in a smiley mood. Soo this is about the best one I managed to get! Poor light, head chopped off and all. Oh well, she's still cute.

Oh and this also happened to be the first time I saw her hold her head up like this! She surprised momma.

I may try again soon with an actual set up. She's only little (and still) for so long! :)

Two New Sessions

2011-12-08T20:34:00.001-05:00

Loved this session!
Family, 6 month old, & Sisters

What a cutie, right?

and so sweet. my favorite types of photographs- those not posed.

three pretty sisters!

Next one was a challenger!
This tough little guy was hard to capture. He refused his picture to be taken! We tried just about everything!
I was lucky enough to catch one smile (don't even ask what was said to get this smile!)

He's lucky he's cute ;)

& these two are newlyweds...

wishing them many years of happiness!

Question: How do you photograph 1-3 year old's that just don't want to cooperate?! What are your tips?
Ya know, besides bribing them with candy & acting completely goofy :)

Two more sessions left for the year, and then I will be on a short break!

ready for Santa, baby

2011-12-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

the tree is up

the stockings are hung

we met Santa

& baby girl got her pretty ears pierced

someone's excited

instagram: jeskapug

baby talks & hiccups

2011-12-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

Addison loves to talk and coo everyday now. I can't get enough of it. But last night was too cute when she tried talking through her hiccups :) Enjoy!

Scentsy Winner!

2011-12-01T09:58:00.000-05:00

Random.org chose the winner!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:

Result:

27Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Winner #27 is...

Marybeth said...

I would choose cinnamon bear! I love cinnamon!

thielkemarybeth@gmail.com

Congrats Marybeth! We will be contacting you shortly!

Thanks to all those who entered!

November Sessions

2011-11-29T20:58:00.001-05:00

I have been a busy bee! I have had so many wonderful sessions this month! I'm finally getting a minute to post my favorites. It has been fun~ some are friends, or friends of friends, and some I had pleasure of meeting.

A perfect couple and their ridiculously cute pups.

An expanding family, expecting another boy in January!

A wonderful family of five!

A cute family of four :)

A sweet couple and their two year old cutie!

An awesome couple!

My sisters beautiful family.

And last but not least, a gorgeous four month old baby girl whom I obviously can't get enough of hence all the photos below!

Have a favorite photo? I'd love to know which one if so!

Don't forget two days to enter the Scentsy giveaway!

My Girl & Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T15:14:00.000-05:00

I decided I needed to do a quick photo shoot of my little's before she gets bigger. Time flies by and I don't want to regret not taking 'good' photos of her. Plus I needed a print for her bedroom canvas! Here's what we came up with...

she completely melts me with that smile, there no words to describe how much I love her!

Her first Thanksgiving was such a good one. Family & food is what it's all about!

our family<3

mommy & baby

hubby's side of the family

my siblings and our babies

I am so looking forward to her 1st Christmas!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, be back soon!

& don't forget only a couple days to enter my Scentsy Giveaway!!

Giveaway Reminder :)

2011-11-21T19:14:00.000-05:00

Scentsy giveaway going on until December 1st on the post below! It's an awesome giveaway make sure you enter!!

And just because she's cute...

Scentsy Giveaway!!! Don't miss out!

2011-11-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Kathy over at Bwak Bwak Blog is a certified Scentsy consultant and will be giving away 1 Scentsy Groovy Brown Plug-In and 2 scent bars! A $30 value!

Scentsy offers a variety of decorative warmers with wax melted by the heat of a light bulb instead of a traditional wick and flame. so those of you with children - not only are they beautiful and fragrant - they are SAFE! If your little one was to get near your Scentsy and stuck their finger IN the melted wax - it WILL NOT burn them! Also, the melted wax will never evaporate meaning that you will never be 'burning' an empty dish! After multiple burns, the wax will no longer be as fragrant so just dump melted wax into the trash and throw another cube in the dish! Once you're house is nice and fragrant, turn off the plug and it will harden up again. The scents they offer are AMAZING!!! My two favorites are Central Park Pralines and Luna.There are many fall and winter scents that smell amazing. If you have never used Scentsy you are missing out! If you like the smell of something, I guarantee they have something similar if not exact! You can purchase the scents in bar or brick form. The bar contains six cubes. For plug-ins, only one cube is needed and for full size and mid size warmers, 2-3 cubes are needed.

To Enter Giveway:

1. Check out Kathy's Scentsy website and leave me a comment letting me know which scents you would choose!
2. Go to kath's blog and follow her - come back and let me know you did!
3. Be a follower of Living Our Love Song through GFC.

For extra points:

3. Post this giveaway out on ANY social network [blog, twitter, or facebook] saying "I want to win the awesome Scentsy giveaway on http://livinglovesong.blogspot.com!"
Leave a comment for EACH one you do.
That is a total of SIX chances to win.
Giveaway will be open until December 1st and winner will be chosen by random.org.

Good luck!

Two Months Old (& giveaway alert!)

2011-11-15T14:28:00.000-05:00

My little one is already two months! She is doing well! We have our good days and our bad days but I think overall we're beginning to have more good days. She is learning to do so much. She smiles a lot more at me, she watches her toys and moves her arms and legs fast in excitement at them, and she seems recognize voices.

Two Month Stats:

10lbs 4oz, 21 3/3 inches
50% weight, 10% in height

now picture overload time...

She still loves the bath, so much she will sleep in there...

And still has those pretty blues...

For comparison, here was her one month photo...

and her 'brand new' photo...

nothing makes me happier than to see how much she's grown! I must be doing something right ;)

LOVE. this little girl.

also I will be hosting a giveaway very soon!! check back :)

Session Favorites

2011-11-12T21:35:00.000-05:00

Engagement/ Family Session

Beautiful family of three and their recent engagement!

Couple Session
with their pug!

Maternity Session
A sweet photographer needed her own photos done for their expecting!

I'm so excited to have many more sessions to come!

Photo Card

2011-11-08T20:24:00.001-05:00

Ribbon Of Wishes Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for unique,Christmas card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

Colic Baby.

2011-11-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

My child. Colic. Who would have thought? It's one of those "oh that won't happen to me or my baby" thoughts. I remember thinking that yeaarrss ago while watching A Baby Story on TLC. But life is full of unexpected surprises. And we have to manage it.

We spend a lot of time doing this...

Standing by the sink with the water running. Yeah, it's not very environmentally friendly but it works. Any hey, it's for a good cause.

This works sometimes too...

and helps me get things done! Like dinner.

She also has silent acid reflux. Between the two it's not very often we get sweet smiles like this...

and this...

So they're all the more rewarding when they do happen. I love those times.

We've tried and are still trying almost everything. She has started on Zantac and we've gone through 6 different formulas I believe. My last stop is Enfamil Nutramigen. We'll see if it works!

Because of the colic and reflux she's not a great eater, she nibbles a lot, doesn't sleep well, and constantly grunts and wiggles around trying to relieve her tummy. Needless to say we get worn out. And most mornings we look like this...

It's tough. The hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Sometimes I think I just can't do it anymore, but I know that one day it will get better. It won't be like this forever.

And she's so worth it all.

Any advice for colic & reflux babies? I think I've read just about everything but it can't hurt to seek more advice!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:08:00.001-04:00

Hanging out

2011-10-29T09:29:00.001-04:00

With my friends on this rainy cold day! Have a great weekend.

6 weeks!

2011-10-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

A quick weekly update...

At 5 weeks 6 days she weighed 8lbs 7oz. Up 3 whole pounds since birth! Doctor says she's playing catch up because she's gaining weight so fast. That is over 2oz a day since she was weighed at 3 weeks- about 1oz a day is considered 'normal'!

She's still in newborn clothes, but we've up'd her to size 1 diapers now because we ran out of newborns (they we're getting a little snug anyway!)

Her eyes are still looking blue, for now!

She is giving mommy a little more sleep at night, finally! (knock on wood!) And she still sleeps in her bassinet.

I swear by the sleep sheep still and I'm considering getting the giraffe version for insurance :) She gets a little colicky/fussy at night (7pm) and it helps so much! I encourage any new or expecting parent to get one!

as pictured below..

she smiles a lot more and has the cutest dimples

I'm looking forward to watching her grow and learn new things everyday!

Recent Session Favorites

2011-10-24T16:43:00.000-04:00

I've began photo sessions once again post baby! Here are some of my favorites from the past few...

One Year Old

Couple

Family

5 weeks

2011-10-19T19:50:00.002-04:00

Things seem to be coming around to a new normal.

I guess I'm finally, slowly, adjusting to motherhood.

I still can't believe I'm a mommy to this little girl.
Who is fully dependent on me... and hubby.

But mostly me now that he has returned to work! After four weeks of all being together, we are missing him during the days.

SO
What Addison is up to at 5 weeks...
- grunting! she is definitely one of those baby's that grunts all the time, even in her sleep sometimes! for no apparent reason. she also makes squeaky car noises :)
- she loves to eat. If she's awake she thinks she's hungry, so it's hard for me to decipher if she's really hungry or just fussy/sleepy at times. she eats about 3oz just about every two hours!
- at night she is still 90% sleeping in her bassinet. usually she's up at 1am, 3:30am, and 6:30am to eat. sometimes after the last nighttime feeding I will lay her in bed with us.
- loving her swing now! It's funny, she didn't seem to like it until I turned it to go the opposite way (up and back, not side to side!)
- smiling. it's not very often yet, but goodness when she smiles I melt into a million pieces.
- and growing! she's starting to get a little baby fat, and I'm noticing her newborn diapers are getting snug! I wonder her weight... maybe 7 1/2 - 8lbs now! she's definitely taking up more room in my arms :)

What is Addison's Mommy up to...
- PJ's. Yea, I'm in them all day long, except for the days I do venture out (to take pictures, or stop in work)
- still yearning for more sleep!
- in desperate need of a hair cut (and mommy time)...appointment made for this weekend, whew!
- missing quality time with hubby, a little selfish of me since it's only been 5 weeks, but true
- TV.. why is there nothing good ever on?! The only shows during the day I like watching are Ellen, A Baby Story, and House Hunters. I can't believe all those soaps are still on! Maybe I need to search a little more. At nights...Up All Night is a fav, The New Girl, and of course The Office. That's about it. Terra Nova seems to be okay so far.
- Booking photography sessions! I have quite a few in the next two months. I'm ecstatic! But still trying to figure out juggling a new baby, going back to work, taking photos, and finding time to edit them!

Welp that sums us up right now. Oh, and now that Fall weather is coming I'm looking forward to baby firsts holidays!!

Morning Smiles & Coo's

2011-10-18T15:51:00.000-04:00

This is what makes the long nights worth waking up in the morning. At four and a half weeks she is starting to give momma big smiles :)
Gah, I love that face!

*please disregard my baby talk voice ;)

Mommy got...

2011-10-16T16:48:00.000-04:00

an iPhone, finally!

and can't stop taking pictures of this little girl

cause she's just too darn cute,

and I don't want to forget an inch of her littleness when she grows big.

she is my sweet girl

and i love her like crazy,

One Month Old Baby

2011-10-14T14:34:00.000-04:00

Here she is! Getting bigger :)

The first month has been a mix of emotions. The first two weeks were probably the hardest time of my life. Now at one month, it's still hard, but we're managing better.

What's been going on....

Breastfeeding

It seemed like no matter how hard I tried (with her latching, nipple confusion, & eventually using a nipple shield) or how long I nursed her (for eight hours straight one night) she was never satisfied. Everyone says you'll feel like a cow with them attached to you nearly every hour. So I expected nursing her every 1-2 hours. But what she was doing wasn't normal. She was not getting enough and therefore would be on me every five minutes for hours and hours straight. I cried every sleepless night and and every morning where I felt like I just couldn't do it anymore. So I began supplementing. I felt like a complete failure. I hated each time she would have to suck down formula. I only want the BEST for my baby. My goal was at least six months of exclusively breastfeeding. But Addison needed a sane, happy mommy. Everyone kept telling me she would be just fine, happy mommy= happy baby. Weeks 3 and 4 I pumped during the day and nursed her at night. She ended up getting about 50/50. However after advice from my doctor, for personal reasons, I am now weaning off and she will be just on formula. Although this wasn't my plan I'm not going to continue beating myself up over it like I had been. I know she will be perfectly fine.

Sleep

What sleep? I didn't sleep for two weeks straight. It is getting better, slightly. But being sleep deprived can take a toll on you. Again, I thank my husband for helping out. I'm not quite sure how single moms do it, or moms with twins. I give them big props! She likes to eat every two hours still, sometimes she will push three hours. So we are up very often! For the most part she sleeps in her bassinet beside my bed. Occasionally I will let her sleep on me in the morning.

Sick Baby

My hub and I were sick for a day or two, sore throats & head colds. Then I noticed Addison had a very raspy voice. I could tell she wasn't feeling well. One night she just cried and cried, I knew her poor throat hurt her. But there was nothing I could do :( I just tried comforting her best I could. Two hours later she finally feel asleep. There's nothing worse then seeing your baby upset and feeling helpless. I think she's still getting through it, I'm hoping she feels better.

Love

Through all the struggles and sleepless nights, I can not imagine loving her any more. The past couple of mornings when I talk to her she lights up with a big smile right at me. My heart melts. The first time she did it made me teary eyed. I can't wait for more and more of them! And I can't wait to capture it on camera! Here's a hint of one...

There's so much I look forward to. I know I will miss this itty bitty baby one day though, so I'm trying to soak up the moments she is snuggled up on my chest and the when she wraps her tiny hand around my finger. There's nothing like it.

Items we couldn't have survived without:

The vibrating rocker that came with her pack n play. I cannot say enough about it. She sleeps in it most of the day and is usually instantly comforted. I highly recommend this device.

The sleep sheep. Addison LOVES this. It helps her sleep so much better. The only downfall is it only stays on for 45 minutes. When that time is up, so is she. But I just press the button again and she's lights out :)

Here is here "brand new" photo for comparison!

My life

2011-10-09T12:09:00.000-04:00

forever changed

but couldn't be any more rewarding

love them!

all three were passed out. camera woke Roxy up :)

We're alive!

2011-10-07T19:31:00.000-04:00

I promise! ;)

Time seems to fly by. Newborns are no joke...they are HARD work!! My little girl has me constantly going! I thank goodness my husband has had three weeks off and is off for another week. I don't know if I'd still be sane without him! And I surely wouldn't ever get any sleep. He has been awesome!

Addison is growing well. She was 5lb 7oz at birth, three days later she was at 5lb 2oz, at 12 days she was 5lb 10 oz, and at 3 weeks 2 days she is 6lb 9oz! Which was about a whole pound gain in just 10 days. I'm so happy she's putting on a little weight! She loves to eat.

She's starting to be awake a little more during the day, and sleeping a little better at night. I'm hoping we're on the right track to her sleeping more at night!

Us & Hub's Grandma

More updates on my little girl later. Time is of the essence!

Birth Story

2011-09-28T15:12:00.003-04:00

While labor is a beautiful thing- it's the furthest thing from pretty. I won't be too detailed.

September 13th 2011 - 39 weeks, 1 day
8 am- I woke up feeling a little funny, slightly nauseous and more sore than usual. I went pee and then realized I had just lost my mucus plug (yea, gross name) as well. I was so excited I woke up hubby to tell him. But it didn't mean a whole lot, you can lose it a week before labor begins. I was so extremely tired though I decided to stay home from work and ended up napping most of the day. I had a few braxton hick's contractions here and there but they were very inconsistent.

10 pm- I began getting more "braxton hicks" contractions. I tried to sleep through them, but a little over an hour later I realized I was not able to sleep and they were coming 4-5 minutes apart. I told hubby this but still thought they were nothing and tried once again to go to sleep. Then I had a big one, and thought 'okay maybe this IS it' and then felt a 'pop, pop'. I knew exactly what that pop pop was... my water had broke. Even though- from the advice from my sister- I was sleeping with a towel under me I managed to get to the bathroom before the big gushes began. I yelled to hubby "JIMMY!" Apparently my voice sounded urgent because he came running in thr room nearly falling all over the place. "my water broke". It was 11:40pm. I was pretty calm. Hubby on the other hand was tripping over his feet scrambling around and asking me who he should call, what bags go in the car, and what I needed. I called my mom to let her know and so she could pick up Roxy. I got the towels off my bed and wrapped them under me for the car ride. OK people nobody told me that your water breaking is like the never ending Niagra Falls. I thought it was just one big gush and trickles after. NO. I don't even know how all of it was even possible. On the way hubby was driving a little fast and even though I was so uncomfortable I told him he doesn't need to speed we had time. In between my groans we talked about how since my water broke and babies must be delivered within 24 hours after, she would be born sometime the next day (being it was nearly 12am), which was a very special day for us. 9/14/11... our ten year dating anniversary!

We got into town and was 20 seconds from the hospital door when all the sudden there were lights and sirens on our tail. Hubby really wasn't speeding too badly... I even thought it was an ambulance going into the hospital. But then realized it was a cop. He even had his spot light on us and the really urgent siren sound on. Since we were turning in to the hospital ER hubby kept going another second to get me to the door. The town cop got out and was clearly irate that we didn't stop immediately for him and we were going if I can remember correctly about 8 mph over. Hubby told him my water broke and he just wanted me to get to the hospital. Hubby showed him his badge (he's a federal officer) and said 'look I was just trying to get my wife to the hospital, her water broke, this is my first baby, I don't know what's going on.' But the cop insisted on being a mega jerk saying well you should have stopped for me right away (we were literally turning into the parking lot). Hubby and him argued back and forth a few times and at this point I was nearly in tears I told hubby to just stop talking. UM hello I was in labor, write us a ticket or leave! Finally the cop glanced in at me the got in his car and sped off furiously. We got out and with soaked towels still wrapped around my bottom I waddled into the ER. The whole time I was thinking this is like out of a movie scene...is this really happening? Never did I think I would go into labor before my due date, have my water break on it's own, or get pulled over on the way to the hospital.

September 14th 2011
I was wheeled up to L&D and the process began. IV, blood drawn, checked for dilation- one centimeter WHAT?! only one cm! this was going to be a long day. Contractions were 3-4 minutes apart but they weren't bad at all. At 3am I was offered an epidural. Hubby stood in front of me and I clenched onto his hand preparing for pain. But it was not nearly as bad I had anticipated. Actually it barely hurt at all just very uncomfortable- everyone is different, I guess I just got lucky.

At 7:30am my doctor came in. I was 3-4cm and 90% effaced. At 11:30am I was 7 cm! I was thrilled at the pace it was going. At 2pm I was 8-9 cm. My doctor guessed her time to be 3:47pm. I was excited, I thought she would be there soon. I had a ton of pressure from my contractions and even a slight amount of pain. 3:47 came and went- I stayed at 8-9cm for hours. They gave me pitocin around 4-5pm to get it going.

At 6pm I was finally ready to push. I pushed for an hour and a half. The last half hour was grueling and very painful. I was convinced my epidural was not working to it's full advantage (confirmed afterwards by my doctor). I don't remembering opening my eyes that last half hour. But I kept hearing 'she has hair- dark hair' Keep pushing she's almost here! You're so close! In the back of my mind I didn't really want to push- it hurt too bad. But I knew I had to so each push I gave it my all. I had a lot of support. My hubby, mom, and best friend were in the room along with two nurses and my doctor. Even though it seemed like a lot of people, everyone was relaxed and calm- which was my pre-labor hopes.

I saw my doctor lay the hospital blanket across my chest- and then it hit me. Any moment my baby would be here. Look down, look down! And then I saw her. Her arms and fingers spread wide open. At 7:24pm, after 19 hours of labor, our baby girl finally made her entrance. It was the most intense moment of my life. My doctor said she's a peanut! and laid her on me. Life.stood.still.

Soon after they took her to get cleaned up. I heard her crying and wanted her back in my arms immediately. Hubby and I cried with her- tears of pure joy and amazement. They finally brought her to me and I cried even more. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. I was in another world.

One Week

2011-09-24T12:46:00.000-04:00

Addison's one week photos

Addison's friend Isla came to visit us one day :)

The past ten days have run together. I'm pretty sure I haven't really slept since I went into labor. Addison is a big night owl and loves to constantly nurse. Finding time for anything right now is nearly impossible! I love her to pieces but I'm hoping that it DOES get better like everyone says.

I am just about finished her birth story! That's next.

Introducing...

2011-09-19T09:17:00.000-04:00

the new little love of our life...

Addison Mae

Born on the 14th of September at 7:24pm

5.7lbs and 18 3/4 inches

she is doing wonderfully

more photos and birth story to come!

still getting settled in as a family :)

39 Weeks

2011-09-12T18:37:00.000-04:00

Baby is ready, Momma is ready!

I had a growth ultrasound last Friday at 38 weeks, 4 days. Addison looked absolutely perfect. Tech said she is ready and everything looks great. She was estimated 7.1lbs! Not as little as people may have expected due to my belly size! She has chunky cheeks and chunky thighs (we actually saw fat rolls!) Gosh, I love seeing her little face. And now that I know she is ready, I am so ready. I'm really starting to feel the effects of being nine months pregnant. T~~ired~~ exhausted & achy all over. And I just really can't wait to meet my little girl!!

Recently I decided to go a little wild with preggo self pics. I'm way to lazy and tired to take pictures with my camera. So here's a photo dump off my terrible droid (soon to be replaced with an iphone!).

I think my face says "I'm done!" in this one ;)

Ya, I feel a little vain for taking all these pictures of myself, but I guess it's just because I know I won't be preggo much longer. I really want to remember how I looked at the end!

Oh and here is her nursery!

I decided to wait on wall decor until after she is born so I can hang photos of her (specifically a canvas above the dresser!)

7 days until my due date! Thursday is my last appointment (and my birthday!) Hoping for some progress!

Roxy is 4!

2011-09-08T20:18:00.001-04:00

My puppy is four years old today!

This calls for picture overload of ~~some~~ a ton of mommy's favorite photos :)

She has had a major hair cut since this photo!

can't say I didn't warn you, i just couldn't narrow my favorites down.

Happy 4th Birthday Roxy girl!

Photog. Session: {Newborn} + What I have learned

2011-09-07T10:48:00.002-04:00

This handsome little fellow was 17 days old and weighed just over 5lbs. Due to hurricane Irene and other circumstances we had to postpone his photo shoot a week later than scheduled. Little guy did not want to go to sleep for the first hour. He was very curious about what was going on :) But we made it work and ended up with a couple cute pictures!

What I've learned about newborn sessions...

They are MUCH harder than they appear! You really have to be patient and work on their terms.
Make sure they are fully asleep before beginning to pose them (which is a skill all in itself!)
You must have good light or skin tones will be a lot harder to post process.
They are little mess makers! Be prepared with mattress covers under blankets and keep burp cloths in hands distance.
Keep the room very warm.
Have a plan with realistic expectations.
Don't forget the little details.. fingers, toes, lips, etc.

Being this was only my third newborn session I still have a lot to learn and a lot experience to gain. Lucky me, I will have a little model soon to practice daily with :)

And thank you for all your support and encouragement on my last post! I appreciate them all!

38 weeks & Emotions

2011-09-05T20:26:00.000-04:00

The Excitement
Well here I am. Two weeks until our little girl is due to arrive. Where has time gone?! I have probably said this before but every day with her inside me is just amazing. I don't know if I'm ready for her to leave me. But I am ready to meet her face to face. I'm ready to kiss those chunky cheeks the sonograms have showed. I'm ready for her to wrap her little fingers around mine. I'm ready for her to meet her daddy, and for all of us to spend forever together.

I'm ready to be mommy.

The Scary
Yet, I'm scared. This feeling has suddenly appeared. I haven't been nervous my entire pregnancy. But now I wonder if my body can handle giving birth. What if I'm not cut out for it? Not knowing exactly what will happen scares me the most. It is only human to think of the "what if's"...and believe me those have been on my mind lately. Plus I'm a daily planner. But this is all out of my hands. And that's a scary feeling. I never wanted to be induced, even a week ago I would have said she'll come when she's ready. But now I want it planned out as much as possible. Still, there's no guarantee what will happen.

'The Emotions'
You can skip this section if you want, I just had to get some feelings out!
My last doctors appointment did not go so well. I saw another doctor for the 'just in case' scenario that my regular doctor wouldn't be able to deliver. Without going into detail and bashing this doctor (because I'm sure this doctor is actually a great person) I left crying uncontrollably. First, the appointment was extremely painful for me and caused immediate bleeding. Let's just say this doctor was not very gentle. And secondly I was just not comfortable with this doctor in the least. The appointment was very textbook and I suddenly felt alone and scared.

The doctor wrote me an ultrasound referral because with a concerned look she said 'I'm measuring very small'. Yes, I know this, my real doctor knows this, and in fact my real doctor doesn't even measure me anymore. I told her I've already had a growth ultrasound at 31 weeks and everything was normal. Had she not looked at my record? I have been measuring small my entire pregnancy. Plus isn't it normal to have 'dropped' by now anyway? But she insisted. Now, I won't refuse going to see my little girl one last time, but that's not the point. Being nine months pregnant and about to give birth can be a very emotional time. Having a complete stranger refer you to get your baby checked out is actually quite scary. I know there is nothing wrong, but all day long I began doubting myself... trying to make her move around when I didn't feel her for awhile and wondering what if something IS wrong.

After being checked I got dressed and the doctor came back in and went on to say "if the baby stops moving ..."if you have a lot of bleeding"... and on and on. At this point I was done. I didn't want to hear any of that at that time from her. I rushed out the door and began tearing up the parking lot to hubby (who was with me) and said I do not want to give birth, I don't know that I can as I stared at the hospital across the street. I was completely stressed and scared out of my mind. The rest of the day I felt so emotionally overwhelmed I was nearly sick to my stomach. I could not stop crying.

I didn't realize that making one appointment with another doctor would be so petrifying at this point in pregnancy. I now realize how much I appreciate and take comfort in my regular doctor. I know that part of my emotional breakdown is pregnancy hormones. For the most part she was just doing her job. But I can't deny how I felt.

I'm hoping going back to my regular doctor this week and seeing her again this Friday will help ease my mind!

In the end I know it will all be completely worth it. I just have to get to the end...the new beginning.

Other pregnancy notes:
-Yep, now you all know I have that nice dark line on my belly! But I'm thanking my lucky stars...still no stretch marks!
-Weight gain is holding steady at 15lbs. Her heartbeat was 145-150bpm. And no dilation yet :/
-Bags are just about packed (Addison's more so than mine). I'm still slacking on that just a tad. A definite TO DO this week!
-I believe everything else is ready!! Come on baby girl :)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-09-04T08:30:00.002-04:00

I haven't participated in Scavenger Hunt Sunday in a long time now! So I made it a point this week to do so. Some of my entries are a little far fetched but bare with me :)

ABSTRACT- eh.. not really abstract but it will do :)

STAIRS- Roxy climbing

MACRO- I don't have a macro lens so this will have to work!

SMILE- shared before, but I just love this little girls smile!
You can see more from this session HERE!

Photog. Session {Children/Family} + What I've Learned

2011-09-02T15:52:00.002-04:00

No need to adjust your screen! These girls are THAT adorable. I had the wonderful opportunity to capture their sweetheart faces this past week!

Their mommy also joined in on some. Their daddy is military and just came back from Korea but is stationed in Hawaii right now, where the family will meet back at soon!

What I have learned with children sessions..

You can't force poses. Children will do as they please and trying to make them pose, smile, or look a certain way will most likely just be a waste of time.

Plus, they won't be their natural selves. It makes a big difference in the end photograph. Anybody can tell whether a child has a forced or real smile.

And real smiles are soo much better!

So make the session fun, 'let them be little', and be prepared to run along with them :)

I'm still editing from this session, believe me this does not conclude the cuteness!

sweet niece & nephew

2011-08-30T20:05:00.008-04:00

After work I went out to practice shoot with my 10 month old niece. I have only edited a few but prepare yourself for extreme cuteness :)

big brother giving little sis kisses :)

he was playing around in that Redskins coat...it was a beautiful 80 degrees out!

are they not adorable or what?!

yep i am one lucky aunt!

random roxy post

2011-08-29T21:57:00.001-04:00

my pretty girl sitting on the brick wall yawning while we we're taking maternity pictures.

if you didn't know, she's part cat.

she will climb onto almost anything without fear.

this is her practicing her agility.

crazy girl.

i <3 her oh so much

always will.

yes, even after baby comes!

i have enough love to give.

January 2008

Irene Destruction

2011-08-28T08:48:00.000-04:00

Irene made her mark at our home. Thankfully, we never lost power! But we were unfortunate to lose a privacy tree in our front yard and our huge flag pool.

Here is the tree.

cell phone pics...

Roxy weathered the storm well.

Surprisingly she never ran and hid behind the couch or under the table. I guess since there wasn't any thunder she wasn't concerned. We snuggled on the couch ALL day long :) I also made cinnamon muffins and we watched Cinderella Man.

While it was a relaxing Saturday....

It's going to be a lot to clean up.

Not fun Irene.

What's your Irene story?

Maternity Pictures

2011-08-26T21:05:00.001-04:00

Finally. At 36 and a half weeks preggo we were able to find a bit of time for pictures! My sisters took a few snapshots of us and I'm happy with how they turned out. Originally I wanted to have them professionally done...but that just never happened! So here they are! Our maternity photos!

This week was crazy here in Maryland. First an earthquake and now we're all battening down the hatches waiting for Hurricane Irene! Fingers crossed that nothing damaging/serious happens...and I don't go into labor...just yet!

FTLOB Babies!

2011-08-24T15:31:00.001-04:00

Linking up to FTLOB babies challenge. Here is a shot I took of my two nieces :)

Please head over to FTLOB and click "like" under my photo if you 'like'! Thanks!!

Also, I'm looking for a couple guest posters for September when I go on baby leave :)

If you're interested, contact me!

another week..

2011-08-22T21:41:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday. All the sudden, I'm 36 weeks/ 9 months preggo and I am tired. Pregnancy seems to be finally taking a toll on me. I feel huge and I'm definitely waddling more! Hubby had to help push me up in bed in the middle of the night just so I could waddle myself to the bathroom. 'Oh the joys of pregnancy.' We both laughed as I was laid like a turtle on my back saying "I can't get up!" Ahh, four more weeks (yes, Addison please come out in four weeks!) until we meet her!! This weeks task is to get my hospital bag started.
No pictures of big girl this week, I'm too lazy. Plus I should have some maternity photos soon!
I have a few more photo sessions over the next two weeks and then I will be on 'baby break'! As much as I'm loving doing shoots, moving around a lot and fast isn't so easy anymore! :)

And for a random picture...

Linking up to the Paper Mama's challenge: Furry Friend

My nephew with his dog Lucy!

Photo Sessions {Twin Kids} & {Family}

2011-08-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

Twin Kids
This past week I had the pleasure of shooting twin cuties. My sister helped with this shoot which was awesome. Being behind the camera ready to snap and trying to get two little ones to sit still, smile, and look (at least in the direction of the camera for some photos) is not easy! We were all worn out by the end chasing them around! We did manage to get some natural and fun photos though!

Family of Four
My sister's family! With the recent birth of my newest niece my sister wanted an updated family photo. Here are a few from the session!

Cute fam, huh?

I'm looking forward to more shoots this week!
Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

35 weeks

2011-08-18T19:22:00.000-04:00

Days shy of being 9 months pregnant!

Less than two weeks until I am full term!!

Five weeks until she should be here!!!

I feel a lot larger than I look!

I'm getting terrible at pregnancy updates these days, but here we go! As of last Thursday (one week ago today) my doctor estimates little girl to weigh a whopping 5lbs! And she is still head down. All great news. Her tiny bum and feet like to get in my ribs now which can be super uncomfortable. Still way worth it just to feel her move around though! She also has the hiccups at least twice a day now and they have the power to make my stomach repeatedly jump. I feel good for being this far along. I thought it would be worse being pregnant during the summer. It's definitely harder to maneuver but I'm managing well. I've been getting pretty painful leg cramps. They usually only last a minute or so though. I'm also having braxton hicks contractions, mostly at nights, but they can be as close as five minutes apart! Overall, I really can't and shouldn't complain, everything is going wonderfully. Next Thursday I start weekly doctors appointments! It's getting down to the wire here :)

Hubby and I went to a child birth class at the hospital I'm delivering at a couple weeks ago. I really recommend this to any first time parents. Even though I already knew most of the information from reading, researching, and asking other moms, I still learned a lot. I think it was more beneficial for Hub though, so he will know what's going on!

Her room is nearly finished. I'll take some photos soon to share! We bought a storage cube in white on sale for $37, regularly $49! It's perfect for miscellaneous items and super cute with pink canvas drawers. It will help keep her room organized and acts as a mantle to put cute stuff on.

There isn't a whole lot left to do besides get our maternity photos done, put the play yard & swing together, sterilize paci's, and pack hospital bags! Car seat is installed and the stroller is ready in the trunk. All of her clothes, blankets, sheets, bibs, etc. are washed. That's been one of the most exciting things to do...the smell of Dreft is wonderful :) I'm sure more miscellaneous tasks will come up but for now I'm feeling nearly prepared for the first time!

I Heart Faces: Eyes!

2011-08-15T17:19:00.001-04:00

My nephew wanted his picture taken as I was preparing for a photo shoot because he had a cool cowboy vest on. We ended up with tons of silly pictures. I have always thought he has beautiful eyes and eye lashes!

Giveaway Winner Announced!

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

By pick of Random.org the winner of the $30 shop credit to Katie Lloyd Photography: Mommy Makes is......

comment #2 of 90...

Tara at Tugboat's photography journal!

Tara said...

I am a follower through GFC

Congrats Tara! Katie will contact you shortly.

Thanks to everyone for entering!

Photog. Session {Maternity} and {Newborn}

2011-08-13T19:46:00.004-04:00

REMINDER: Two days left to enter my GIVEAWAY!!

Kaley's Maternity Session

Kaley is due the same day as I am with a boy. I was excited when she asked me to do her maternity photos. She is a gorgeous preggo and has a cute little family! You can see her blog here :)

9 Day Old Newborn: Isla

My good friend Jessi, at Caterpillar Family, recently had her baby girl! She is so beautiful....

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend! Be back on Monday for the announcement of the giveaway winner and pregnancy update!

GIVEAWAY ends Monday morning, 8/15!

Photog. Sessions: {3 Month Old} & {Family of Four}

2011-08-09T08:08:00.000-04:00

3 Month Old: Deacon

Whew, he is adorable! I couldn't get enough of him. I'm glad I was able to capture his beautiful smile and him holding his head up!

Family of Four

The girls loved being in front of the camera which made my job easy! They were a lot of fun to photograph!

I love doing this and I'm thankful for all those who trust me taking their photos! Each session is unique and each a learning experience. I am looking forward to many more!

If you haven't already...make sure to enter my GIVEAWAY from Katie Llyod Photography!

GIVEAWAY! Kate Lloyd Photography!

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Katie Lloyd is a talented photographer with an eye to turn ordinary subjects into beautiful fine art! Her shop includes a variety of prints such as floral, food, outdoors, scriptures, and more. I have followed her blog for awhile now and I love all of her work!

This one is so serene! It could hang anywhere in your home.

photo by Katie Llyod

Love this black and white.

photo by Katie Llyod

beautifully colorful for an art room or child's room!

photo by Katie Llyod

The Giveaway: $30 credit to her shop!

To enter this giveaway:

Mandatory Entries:

Visit Katie Lloyd Photography's Etsy shop and return to my blog leaving a comment telling me which one item you really like!
Be a follower of my blog Living Our Love Song through GFC.

Optional:

Follow Katie Llyod's Blog.
Heart (add to favorites) Katie Llyod's Photography shop on Etsy.
Blog about this giveaway. Must include link back this blog, Living Our Love Song.

That is a total of FIVE ways to win! Leave separate comments for each you do! Please leave your e-mail address so that we may contact you if you have won. Katie will ship worldwide. Winner will be chosen by random.org on Monday, August 15th!

Good luck!

Questions Answered

2011-08-05T13:47:00.003-04:00

My answers to my last 'ask me' post!

Mandy from a sorta fairytale asked: Why did you pick the name Addison?
No real reason, I really liked Adelynn, but hubby didn't. We both loved Emily...her name was real close to being that! But it is just TOO common right now. So after searching through a tons of baby name books and websites we decided Addison was the perfect fit for us! There wasn't a second thought about it after we both agreed!

Anne from Hot Coffee Mama asked: How long did it take to get pregnant?
Roughly six months of actively trying. Not a terribly long amount of time, but long enough for me to start wondering if something was wrong. Anybody trying to conceive knows how dreadful this time can be! If you are trying hang in there. I was starting to swear it would never happen, then boom out of the blue came one of the best days of my life!

Erika from Musings from a SAHM asked: When did I start blogging and why?
I started blogging July 2010. I've always been a big picture taker and scrapbooker. I had fallen out of scrap-booking though because of the costs to buy paper, stickers, books, etc. Plus it took a lot of time to perfect my pages! So I decided blogging would be a great spot to keep memories and photos in order. It will be nice to be able to look back on past years and see where I was at in life.

And Lauren from Lauren's Life Song asked: Any photography tips for a newbie?
Soon after I began blogging my love for photography flourished and there hasn't been any turning back. I'm addicted to learning and improving. There are so many talented photographers out there willing to share their tips, and I'm funneling in as much as possible. Being still a newbie myself I have a lot to learn. But I have plenty of advice to give already! To me, these have been the most important to remember:

Find the right light. Lighting is one of THE most important aspects in photography. Too much sun causes harsh shadows and blown out spots in your photos. Not enough and you can find your photos blurry or underexposed. -Don't be afraid of highering your ISO when light is low! You will have more grain if you try to lighten the photo afterwards.

Manual. Make it your best friend and practice, practice, practice! It takes time to get used to making sure all the settings are proper but the best photos will come from manual mode! Learn about aperture, ISO, metering, and shutter speed!

Steady! Try to keep as steady as possible when shooting. It can make a big difference!

Angle. Change it up, don't always shoot straight on a subject. Make it fun!

Hope these tips help a little!

Thanks for your questions!

Couple photos from some recent shoots coming up soon! And just a few days until my first giveaway!!

my first "ask me anything"

2011-08-01T17:56:00.001-04:00

I'm sorta in a bloggers rut. I have a lot going on in life, but I can't fix it all together in a post right now. So I'm taking a step back and allowing you all to ask me anything, ya know, within some guidelines! Later this week I'll answer a few of your questions, that is if you even have any ;)

because a post isn't the same without a photo...

and because my poor girl hasn't been in the spotlight lately...

hehe, love her. she needs a trim up though :)

Happy August!

Don't forget: next week is my first hosting of a giveaway! And it's a good one :)

8 months & baby shower!

2011-07-26T20:04:00.001-04:00

I am now EIGHT months! Less than two months until the big day.

I feel great minus running of breath faster and feeling exhausted more often. It doesn't help that it's been a million degrees outside. I need to keep active though, I have a lot photo sessions booked through the end of August (in which I will be 36 weeks, whew)!

Here was my latest sonogram!

Addison at 31 weeks, 4 days...cord is over her left eye

She was approx. 3lbs 13oz. and already has hair!! Those lips just get me, I think they're adorable. This is the last time I will see of her until she is here in my arms. Goodness I can't wait. Still, I'm going to try to enjoy my last eight weeks of pregnancy. There's no other time like it!

Moving on...last Sunday was...

My baby shower!

Date: July 23rd

Theme: Zebra

Colors: pink, white & black.

My beautiful cake and diaper cake!

So many wonderful gifts!

Sisters, Mom, Grandmother, and nieces!

BFF & nephew who showed up after to ~~steal left over cookies~~ help clean up :)

Sis in law and friend with her little cutie!

good friends!

preggo friends!
12 weeks, 25 weeks, 32 weeks, 32 weeks, 38 weeks!

And finally, the mommy and daddy to be!

Thank you all who came and celebrated with me! And a very special thank you to all those who helped plan the shower, going above and beyond to make the day perfect, you know who you are!
Addison is so lucky to have you all happily awaiting her arrival! (And she's pretty darn spoiled already!)

Also- If you would, please go vote for my photo that made top three here: Live Every Moment!
Thanks!!

&& GIVEAWAY ALERT!
I'm excited to say I will be hosting a giveaway in August for the very talented Katie Llyod! Check out her Etsy shop: Katie Llyod Photography and stay tuned :)

31 weeks & a letter

2011-07-20T19:53:00.008-04:00

little one,

you love to push all over my belly and
you respond right away to me or your daddy nudging you.

you love vitamin water, like your momma. one sip and you go wild, every time.

people who love you very much are planning to shower you with gifts this weekend! we are so excited to prepare for your arrival. each day it feels more real that you will be here soon!

i will see you on the screen again tomorrow, i can't wait. i hope you let us see your sweet face once more

but if not, it will only be just nine weeks until i see you in person.

love, mommy

Photo Session & Sweet Shot

2011-07-19T08:40:00.005-04:00

Photos from a session over the weekend!

It was a crazy shoot as the little boy had other plans than to have his picture taken over and over but we made it work. And I ended up having quite a few favorites from this session! They are super cute kids!

http://forblogs.blogspot.com

And yes, I'm late on my 31 week update!

Maternity Session

2011-07-13T18:54:00.007-04:00

A good friend of mine, Jessi at Caterpillar Family, is expecting a baby girl in early August! She asked me to do her maternity photos! We picked a date weeks ago and it just happened to be one of the hottest days. But we made due and ended up getting some good shots hiding in the shade! Here are some favorites of mine.

Isn't she too cute with that bump?! She was easy to photograph :) I'm excited our girls will be less than two months apart and I can't wait to do her baby girl's newborn photos! Remember to check out her blog!

http://forblogs.blogspot.com

30 weeks!

2011-07-11T15:10:00.000-04:00

I am three-fourths the way to meeting our daughter. Words can not explain how happy writing that makes me. Though I will be honest and say there are moments it also scares me. I know my world will be forever changed. I know it will no longer just be me and my husband, free to do whatever, whenever. Gone will be the days as I/we now know them. We will have a tiny life to take care of, to raise, to nurture. She will be fully dependent on us. And while I feel I am ready, I don't think anyone is really ever ready for all the changes a new life brings.

Addison is a rolly polly girl. She rarely ever kicks me hard, she just flops around and stretches now making my stomach push out in certain areas. Most the time I can rub her back down if it gets uncomfortable. The other morning I was hit in the rib for the first time, it didn't hurt, just a weird feeling! She moves ALL the time now. It's an amazing feeling, like I'm already getting to know her. I love it! She also has the hiccups daily :)

(pair being busy with being lazy and a work bathroom mirror pic is what you get)

I have gained roughly eleven pounds total so far (don't know why I feel the need to tell the world that other than it's a question I'm often asked *why?!*) I'm still feeling great minus getting good sleep. It's so hard to get comfortable and have back support. I'm constantly flipping from side to side, stuffing pillows and blankets around me, and trying my hardest not to sleep on my back (which is so comfortable to me). Then throw in getting up to pee at least twice a night...I guess this is just preparing me for lack of sleep when she's here! Other than that the heartburn is getting worse, egh; 3rd trimester fatigue is starting to hit; and pregnancy brain is increasing! Still, I can barely complain, there are times I totally forget I'm pregnant!

The past seven months have flown by, and now there are just ten weeks to finish preparing. There's a lot left to be done. Nesting began early with me but as of lately it has subsided. My baby shower is in two weeks (eek!) and I'm hoping that will kick things into gear. But I will probably slack until :)

Don't forget today is 7/11 ...which means FREE SLURPEE DAY at 7/11! Can't beat free ;)