Wandering DC

Trick-Or-Treating

2011-11-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

I am usually not a big fan of Halloween, and I blame that on my mother. She hates Halloween. However, I was really excited to take Eli trick-or-treating last night.. I found the cutest costume at a consignment sale about a month ago (it was only $4 too! What a STEAL!) Our plans were to go to my in laws and trick-or-treat in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was drizzling when we left and pouring shortly after we arrived..so we stayed in doors instead.

I know, I have the cutest baby ever.

Of course I'm not going to be satisfied with some p&s pictures..so one day last week I dressed Eli up and we took pictures in the studio. Love, love, LOVE him!

My MIL bought him this cute little scarecrow outfit..

Next year he'll be walking. I can't think that far in advance. But he will be. And I hope it doesn't rain!

Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall!

It has been unusually warm here in Virginia..although we have had a few cool days that teased us all - I am SO ready for the cool weather!

Yesterday we did our first family trip to the pumpkin patch!

Thanks to the MIL, I had the cutest scarecrow outfit for Eli, but it was in the mid 80s and that outfit would have been way too warm so I had to settle for pumpkin colors of green & orange.

This boy brings me more joy than I could ever put into words

Yes, my 2 month old can stand.. He's growing up way too fast!

Crafts

2011-09-28T21:04:00.001-07:00

I have always wanted to be "that mom" -- you know, the one who kept her house clean, prepared dinner every night, and created a fun learning environment for her children. Eli is coming up on two month old very quickly and I feel like we are just now getting to the point where I can brush my teeth twice a day..so the other "dreams" will have to wait for now.

However, I am super excited to do a few small projects with Eli- these will be the perfect holiday cards for the grandparents! I just need to go to Michael's and pick up the supplies..

Here are a few of my favorites courtesy of my pinterest boards:

Source: sweetandlovelycrafts.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: ucreatewithkids.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: asortafairytaleblog.com via Megan on Pinterest

Knowing

2011-09-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I knew love

..and then I became a mother.

♥

Dear Eli | Part 1

2011-09-26T20:25:00.001-07:00

My sweet boy,

Having you completed me. My heart bursts with love, joy, and peace and I thank God for brining you into my life. You are the perfect mix between calm and feisty. Most of the time you are very calm and hardly cry, but I can already see that you are strong-willed. You spend a portion of each day sitting quietly and observing the world around you. I love seeing the world through your eyes. You just recently started really locking eyes on objects and when you're under your play mat you swat at the items above. You're growing up before my eyes and that is so bittersweet. I love spending my day with you.

I love you so,

Mommy

List of firsts

2011-09-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Eli,

Our first month has come and gone and it took away some of our hardest and favorite moments so far. Every time I think that we are well into our second month of knowing you I have to blink away tears from my eyes. I want to remember your early days and I will treasure them forever. When you first arrived, I had to teach your daddy how to do everything (not that I knew everything, but I did have more experience growing up around littles!) but within a week he was a pro- and I believe he's better at calming you down than I am.

At your first doctor's visit you peed and pooped EVERYWHERE. Prior to this, your daddy & I were stressed because we were running late - we are much better now at allocating the appropriate amount of time to get somewhere. The poosplosion was JUST what we needed- and boy did we laugh! You melted away all of our stress that day.

That night, you got your first washcloth bath.. and you hated it. The next night we tried again and I held you and nursed you while Daddy wiped you down- you preferred this much better. During a late night diaper change you peed on me for the first time.

When you were 5 days old, Daddy fed you for the first time with a bottle I had pumped the day before. I know he had felt a little useless since I was providing you with all the nutrients you needed- so this was a special moment for the two of you. He really is the best daddy in the world.

When you were 6 days old you tooted' more than I thought a baby could. You also projectile vomited that day, and that scared me! Thankfully, Gammy was here and assured me that you were okay, and not to change you so quickly after a feeding. Your umbilical cord was holding on by a small string and fell off later that night. I remember crying quite a bit because you would be a week old the next day.

On your one week birthday you tried out your swing for the first time, but Daddy thought it was too fast so you were only allowed to sit there. He wants you to be safe, and I have a feeling he will always watch over you with as much care as he did with the swing! You started your "baby smiles" and they are the cutest thing ever..they go as quick as they come so I haven't gotten a picture yet. You were given the paci for the first time today and you LOVE it!

You make the cutest noises. You snort you're hungry, make a grunty noise when you need to be changed, and squeal like a pig when you cry.

On August 14th you were 9 days old and you had your first trip to Target! Unfortunately you will not remember it because you slept the entire time! You love your carseat. You sleep every time you get in it! We had been having a lot of trouble with breastfeeding at this point, but I remember on this day we had 3 good nursing sessions and that gave me a renewed sense of strength.

When you were 10 days old Daddy went back to work for a few days before taking the next week off. Gammy was still here during Daddy's first week back and loved being here with you.

At 12 days old you peed on yourself twice within one change and your Daddy said, "eventually he has to run out, right?" It was the funniest thing- but anything would have been- it was late and I was probably a little delirious!

At 13 days old we tried the k'tan wrap out for the first time and you LOVED it! It's continued to be one of your favorite places.

Then you hit two weeks old, and I cried again :) I will probably cry at every weekly/monthly birthday for a long long time! To celebrate two weeks you got to try out your new bathtub that MawMaw bought for you, but you weren't a fan. I watched you all by myself today while Daddy went shopping- I thought I would be a lot more nervous than I was!

The day before your due date (August 21) you laid under your play mat for a little while.. soon you will love doing that!

Your due date (August 22) was a happy day, I was so thankful you were out- pregnancy had been hard on your Mommy and I was thankful that you were here, safe, and healthy! You and Daddy took me out to lunch and then we went to Target where you had a MAJOR meltdown.. Daddy had to pick you up while I tried to push your stroller while carrying a few big items to check out. (Not sure what we were thinking with that.. Daddy should have pushed & carry..and I should have had YOU!)

Your one month checkup was on Sept 2, we learned that you were at the very low end of a normal weight gain, my supply was super low (more on that later) and we decided to go to formula. You also had had a rash that wouldn't go away no matter what we tried so your DR suggested we try cloth diapers. So that night, you wore your first cloth diaper and drank your first formula bottle.

I love you. I couldn't imagine having all of these "firsts" without anyone else. You are more special to me than you will ever know.

Our first meeting.

Our first morning

Our first family photo

Welcome to the world.

2011-08-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

(Quick Timeline Below)

Amniotic fluid changes the color of PH paper. I learned this on July 29th when David and I went to labor and delivery to check to see if my water broke (or at this point just leaking) - it wasn't amniotic fluid. Four hours later they let me go home- even though I asked to leave 5 minutes after I knew it wasn't the real deal. I will admit at this point I was a bit embarrassed because I had been in L&D so many times for preterm labor I was not about to head back unless I knew for sure I'd walk out without a baby. Not that I shouldn't have gone each time for preterm labor, but still. After that trip, I began praying that when the time was right that there would be no question.

The "watery discharge" (seriously how easily is that to confuse with amniotic fluid??) continued for a few days and seemed to increase with each passing day. David and I came up with the idea to purchase PH paper from the fish section at Petsmart so we wouldn't have to go back to L&D for a 'what if.' -- I'll be honest, we first contemplated sneaking some from the hospital that night.

Friday, August 5th I woke up at 1:30 feeling a small "gush" down there. Although it wasn't a lot different than what I had been experiencing for almost a week, somehow I just KNEW this was "it" -- David went downstairs to grab the PH paper and sure enough, it changed immediately! I then freaked out a bit realizing that today was the day we were going to meet our baby! So I did what any girl would do- I got dressed, put on makeup, changed outfits a few more times, and when I couldn't think of anything else to do I finally faced my 'fears' and we headed to the hospital.

The 30-minute drive to the hospital went by pretty quickly as we listened to music, chatted about how our life was about to change forever, and I called family and sent texts to close friends on the way-- I didn't expect anyone to answer but a few did! Once we got to the hospital, I walked myself in- because of the time of day (well, night), we had to go through the ER. We got checked in to our room and was sad to find out our favorite nurse was off for the next few days. (I told you we had been to L&D a few times- and we knew a lot of the nurses!)

Time moves both slowly and quickly during labor. When we were checked in and settled at 3:30 I was 4-5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. My contractions were 1.5 minutes apart, not letting my body catch a break - They were steadily increasing in strength and I was feeling a lot of pressure in my butt area. At 6:15 AM the on-call doctor came in and officially broke-- I will never forget the sound of that gush- it was so strange! Literally sounded like a huge bucket of water was dropped on the ground. She had been sleeping or she would have broken my water earlier but the nurses weren't keen on waking a sleeping doctor for that (something like don't poke a sleeping bear?) Once the water broke the contractions (and butt pain!) became even stronger.

During the contractions pre-epidural I was counting down the time until I would get it...but the moments inbetween I gathered my strength and felt like I could hold on a bit longer. I held on for a few hours!

It was my goal that if I felt like I was going to get an epidural, to wait until I was 6-7 cm along. I knew that epidurals can slow labor down, so I felt like that was enough progress- a "goal" of sorts. The doctor I had been seeing was on vacation for two weeks so another doctor that I hadn't met before from the practice was there at 8AM to check me. I cannot say enough good things about this doctor- he was absolutely fabulous.

I am the type of person to say whatever is on my mind when I am nervous (which has embarrassed both my husband and mother on more than one occasion!) and when the doctor came in to 'check' me I said, "boy you have big fingers!" ha! It should also be known that I told him we were going to eat the placenta, and I thought he was going to die!

I was dilated to 6CM. Yay! I made it to my goal! Now.. time for the epidural!

The anesthesiologist was a fairly young russian woman- another time we lucked out with someone so nice! Apparently my bones are very tight and it took her three tries to find a good spot- but honestly, the epidural didn't hurt at all! I was having pretty strong contractions every few minutes and I knew I needed to stay as calm as possible. I remember burying my head into David's chest and he had his head down on me- telling me how proud of me he was and how much he loved me.

I stayed at 6cm dilated for a few hours- My contractions were still very regular, but the strength just wasn't pushing me into further dilation. They placed an internal monitor to check the contractions- which did not hurt at all and honestly I was glad to get the belly monitor off-- that thing makes me itch!

After 12 hours of labor and 6cm of dilation, we started pitocin. The DR came in to check me around 3:30 and I was 6.5cm dilated but had a contraction at the same time he was checking so he stretched me to a 7. (which sounds really gross now that I'm typing it!)

The epidural was great - however between the terrible butt pain and adrenaline, I didn't rest one bit. (All in all, we were up for 27 hours before getting 2 hours of light sleep!) Around 5ish I asked if there was anything we could do for the butt pain- and the anesthesiologist came in and gave me something- which helped a tiny bit-- but it was now time to start pushing! The best relief from the pain came when I was pushing.

We had been asked if 2 EMT students could watch the birth- and we agreed. I'd rather give someone the opportunity to gain experience that they can use if an emergency situation arises than be self conscious about my everything being shown to everyone. I had been seeing a Nurse Practioner at the OB/GYN office and even though it was after hours she came in to support me. Which was so so awesome!

Before I knew it, it was time to push! At that moment, all I could think was, "yes! let's do this so I can eat!!" -- I was starving! Of course I was super excited to meet my son..but after so many hours of feeling hungry I was ready to chow down. I also asked for my deodorant so I could touch up because lets face it, things were about to get gross-- I didn't want them to get gross AND have me smell!

My main support came from my mother & David. Mom took some pictures and also at one point was holding my legs for me while the main nurse did other things. The nice thing about my epidural was that I was not completely numb. I could feel my legs, I could move myself around without help (though obviously I didn't try to get up).

David counted during my pushes and when I would get irritated that he was counting too slow I just counted in my head myself :) I am so much of a control freak that I have to count my OWN pushing time! ha! Everyone was cheering, encouraging, and overall super supportive (minus the EMT students, I may have scarred them into silence) and I really felt totally loved, even though I didn't know half of the people in the room.

In between contractions I ate ice chips like it was my job. Ice took my mind away from the pain and helped me to regain focus quickly. Plus I get hot very easily and this helped with that! With every push I bit down (and ended up with nerve damage in my mouth that thankfully has gotten better!) - and gave it my all. I knew there was a chance that I would push and he wouldn't come out- I didn't want to get this far and end up with a c-section.

I pushed for a few minutes short of an hour. Right at the end I got tired of the counting, of the people, of the encouragement (but I didn't voice this because everyone was SUPER nice) but I was ready for this to be OVER! Dr. Moore said, "He'll be born with your next contraction!" My top came off to be ready for some skin-to-skin with my baby -- I didn't know how he was going to be born yet because his head wasn't "out" yet. I pushed with all my might, I remember yelling a bit, grabbing the back of Davids neck and squeezing it--and PUSHING.

I don't know the exact timeline of this but at the end the DR did an episiotomy (and their office practice is to avoid that at all costs) and then I tore all the way down. Still recovering from that now at almost two weeks later. Eli also got stuck- at his shoulder-- Mom said she was really scared but thankfully I didn't see or hear any of that-- it's like your mind goes to a different place. I'm just thankful for an amazing doctor who reacts well under pressure.

Throughout labor David was right by my side- telling me how proud he was of me and how much he loved me.. he (unlike many guys who are grossed out by this) said it was the coolest thing to watch our Son being born. And I have to agree!

Once Eli was born it took him a second to cry, and when he did it was the cutest little sound I've ever heard. We had requested for a delayed cord clamping, and because he was doing well they agreed. Shortly after birth Eli latched on perfectly and we got a blanket wrapped around us and snuggled. Eli wasn't taken to be weighed until after I had been stitched up- which was a good 20-30 minutes. Getting stitched hurt a little so they gave me a shot to numb the area. Typically they take the newborn about an hour after birth to the nursery to be assessed and bathed- but our L&D nurse gave us about 3 hours. It was pure bliss.

Quick Birthstory Timeline:

1:30 AM - water "broke" (was leaking)

2:00 AM - drove to hospital

3:30 AM - got situated in our birthing room and was 4-5cm dilated and 80% effaced

6:15 AM - night DR broke remaining water and contractions picked up

8:00 AM - the doctor from my obgyn practice came in to check progress and I was 6CM dilated

8:30 AM - Epidural = Heaven

1:15 PM - Pitocin Started

3:30 PM - 7cm dilated 95% effaced

5:30 PM - began pushing

6:41 PM - Eli is here!!

These Marks | Personal

2011-07-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

Source: None via Megan on Pinterest

Let’s be honest here- the last thing I thought I would ever post is a picture of my belly in it’s current state… and UNEDITED. (eek!) And it’s notcheating that I overexposed a tiny bit in order to hide some of the zebra-ness OR that I’m posing from my left side and the right side is where Eli has always been and those stretch marks are a lot darker and more prominent. It’s called being a good photographerIt’s my job to photograph people in the most flattering light, and for me– this is it.

For the past 8 months, twice a day or more I lathered up my belly with various stretch mark lotions- I did not want them. I am pretty good about eating and did not gain a lot of weight at once, so I really thought I was in the clear. Month by month I gained a little tummy and no stretchmarks- I thought my plan (whatever that was!) had worked! Everything was great, until I got put on bedrest at 29 weeks for preterm labor. With bedrest, I could no longer be active and so the weight started creeping up on me. My first stretchmark appeared towards the end of 31 weeks, and I cried. I knew the worst was yet to come and I dreaded looking in the mirror every day.

The other day, someone shared the above quote with me- and like a slap in the face my thoughts on these “ugly things” completely changed. I hope that someone else will read the quote and find the comfort and peace it brought me.

“..it held you until my arms could, and for that, I will always find something beautiful in it”

The Simple Things

2011-07-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

From Mama's Losin' It Writer's Workshop

Simple Things....

moments of silence

going for a walk

taking a nap

hearing "i love you"

yummy scents

christmas lights

eating your favorite meal

music

tiny baby clothes

colorful leaves in the fall

being ahead of schedule

good memories

warm sunny days

clean clothes

saving money

Source: flickr.com via Kristin on Pinterest

35 & book thoughts

2011-07-20T13:20:00.001-07:00

Hello 35 weeks!

5 more days of bedrest & medicine.

I could jump in the air and scream!

..but of course that isn't permitted.

David picked up Bestfeeding, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, and two more books from the Sookie Stackhouse series (8&9) that I haven't read yet on Monday, and I've already gone through the baby ones.

Bestfeeding { I feel like a lot of the contents in this book are common sense, but maybe it's because I've always been open and curious about breastfeeding- I do not think I wasted any time reading it though. It definitely would be a good book for moms who are unsure about breastfeeding or FTMs that feel like they aren't sure how it works. They're not so into schedules as they are making sure your baby eats when they want, which is a complete contradiction from this next book:

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer { I have really enjoyed reading this one. I came in with a different perspective- and honestly have had some of my thoughts changed. Tracy is big on not having your new baby set your schedule, but setting a schedule (but knowing you need to be flexible!) for your baby. Her biggest teaching is the E-A-S-Y method (which allows time for yourself every quarter) which stands for Eat, Activity, Sleep & You. She is also big on self soothing, babies sleeping in their own room, and not be "worn."

I would rec'd both books to anyone! Just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's right for you. You are the parent and can make decisions for your family. I will be wearing Eli a lot, he'll sleep in our room (but not our bed) for the first few weeks, but I do really like the idea of the E-A-S-Y method so I will try it, I may just have to modify it to work for us. :)

9 days.

2011-07-16T07:26:00.001-07:00

Eli,

If you do not decide to push through and come before, next Monday I am allowed to get off the medicine that has been holding you in, and then it's anyone's guess when you will meet the world. I will have spent 7-8 weeks on bed rest and believe me I am ready to move around, but I have enjoyed sitting and lying quietly and thinking about you. I wonder what you will look like, I am pretty sure you have your Daddy's nose, but the rest is a mystery. I feel like it's Christmas, except I do not have a calendar with a big star on the exact date.

I am one to always think the worst, and you will learn that your mama worries way too much and creates scenes in her head that will likely never happen. I worry that I will not be here to see you grow up, but I promise to cherish every single day that God allows me. Years ago I never imagined myself making it to the point of getting married. After I met your Daddy and got married, I never imagined I'd get to experience buying a house and having a baby. We are in our new home and have set up your nursery anxiously awaiting your arrival. My dreams are coming true Eli, and it's all because of you.

Your Daddy & my anniversary is August 1st, we both agree that our best present would be a healthy baby. I am so excited to see the personality you will bring to this world. I have many wishes for you. Most importantly, I pray you will come to know and accept Jesus into your heart. I hope you find joy in the small things but work hard for what you want. I wish you confidence to try new things, and the ability to bounce back when it doesn't work. I pray you will seek to find the good in people but guard your heart. I hope you go out of your way to help those in need, just as your Daddy does.

I look at your tiny clothes and cannot imagine you being that small, and then I look at your bigger clothes and I can't imagine you being that BIG! Right now you are quite snug in my belly, and I'm not sure if I will miss the kicks to the ribs or bladder that take my breath away, but I will definitely miss the bond we have right now. Once you are born I will never again get the feeling back, and I'm going to soak up the remaining time we have together.

I cannot wait to meet you.

Confessions

2011-07-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

1. I have never seen ANY of the Harry Potter movies.

2. I just watched the available Twilight movies two months ago, and I'm excited to see the final one!

3. I don't love my pregnant body, but I did before I got stretch marks.

4. I wish I had a better sense of fashion- I want to work on my wardrobe this year.

5. I have always wanted to be a Teacher, but got a business degree instead. Part of me wishes I went with teaching, but I do love being a photographer.

Eli's Nursery

2011-07-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Eli's room!

I have never thought of myself as a good decorator, but I am in love with this room! It's crisp & clean with pops of color- fits into our style perfectly.

Fabric: Alexander Henry 2d Zoo

We had the curtains, blanket & pillow custom made..love them! I'm going to use the fabric to make a few more things for the room.

Canvases & "Eli": Painted by me! There's also an alligator canvas that greets you when you walk in the door. All supplies purchased at Michael's

Furniture & Lamp: Target

Baskets: Michael's

Newborn Session Inspiration

2011-06-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot WAIT to have images like this of my sweet little family..

Pinterest is such a fun way to compile all things lovely <3

Source: flickr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: photographybymeg.net via Megan on Pinterest

Source: None via Megan on Pinterest

Source: blog.drewbphotography.com via Megan on Pinterest

Week 32 { Highlights!

2011-06-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Eli is the size of a sack of potatoes

and will weigh around 4 pounds at the end of this week!

How far along?

I am 32 weeks & 2 days. Only 12 days until the goal date of hitting 34 weeks! So far, the medicine is still working and Eli is holding strong.

Total weight gain/loss:

I haven't been allowed to climb the stairs where my scale is since I got home from the hospital, but before I went in we were at about a 20 pound gain.

Maternity clothes?

Yes and no. Pants for sure, but I wear regular skirts (most of mine have a stretchy feel to them though!) Sometimes I wear maternity shirts, but it's not mandatory.

Stretch marks?

Unfortunately yes..arrived last week. They're not terrible though..yet :) They are mainly on my lower right side- where he always lays.

Sleep?

I don't have too much trouble sleeping..I do wake up a lot to pee though! David brought the mattress downstairs since I shouldn't be going up and down the stairs and we've been "camping" out in the living room.

Best moment of the week:

Not having to stay at the hospital overnight! They just put me on new medicine, it worked miracles and we were released that evening!

Worst moment this week:

Bedrest in general isn't that fun. However, worrying over a child in the NICU would be worse- so bedrest when he's inside of me growing isn't that bad.

Movement?

I'm not sure when this little guy sleeps! He is a mover for SURE! I don't mind it though, makes me not have to worry.

Food cravings:

I haven't had ANY cravings..at all! Ever! I keep waiting for some!

Gender:

BOY!

Labor Signs:

Contractions- but I have had them since 29 weeks when I went to the hospital trying to prevent preterm labor.

Belly Button: In or Out?

So this is strange..but it's even with my belly-- before I was an innie, and now.. it's just- strange ;)

Wedding rings on or off?

I took them off because I didn't know how much fluid i'd be getting at the hospital- last time I was there I gained 6lbs in 1 day. They're upstairs..in the forbidden land- so I haven't put them back on yet, but I think they'd fit.

Milestones:

Keeping this baby inside of me since 29 weeks!!

Another Tour

2011-06-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I got another tour of the Labor & Delivery unit of the hospital. My body decided it did not like the Procardia anymore and contractions got wild and I started dilating. My little man is very anxious to meet his Mommy & Daddy! Thankfully we were able to get everything under control and I got a new and stronger medicine (Terbutaline Sulfate) that seems to REALLY be working. I am honestly shocked at how well it's working. There's only ONE issue with the medicine..

I honestly feel like I'm on crack. Not that I have ever experienced that, but I would imagine it would feel something like this. I haven't had caffeine in over a year, and I feel like I have chugged a pot of coffee- I cannot focus very well and I literally SHAKE! It's wild. But it's working- and I am confident it will help to keep Eli inside :)

I am now officially on full bed rest- The ONLY time I can get up is to use the restroom and have a quick shower once a day. I am also able to get some water and grab something to eat. I never realized how much I would enjoy a 10 ft walk :) David is the best husband and he brought our mattress down (his idea!) to the living room so I didn't have to go up & down the stairs, because I would have had to strategically plan my trips so I wasn't going up/down too much. So we're "camping out" on the living room floor - it's kind of fun!

Through this whole preterm labor scare- I have not been nervous or anxious.. I know who is in control and that He knows the outcome of all of this. The entire pregnancy has been unreal to me. All of it has been in God's hands. He chose to bless David & I very quickly with this pregnancy and He has kept my little man going strong.

Life as of late..

2011-06-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Although it seems like YEARS ago.. I went in three weeks ago for a routine checkup. I had just hit my appointments every two weeks. The night before my appointment I had a lot of tightening- it came every few minutes- but wasn't unbearably uncomfortable so I just went to bed. It happened throughout the night and was still going on the next day when I went to work. About two hours before my appointment I jotted down the times I would feel i. When my DR asked how I had been doing, I said 'just fine' and before we ended the appointment I decided to hand him the scribbled piece of paper- which promptly landed me in labor & delivery. I thought they'd just keep me for an hour and let me go, but I ended up being admitted because I was not having braxton hicks, I was having real contractions- and they were 2-6 minutes apart consistently.

After unsuccessfully trying to get them under control with water, they moved to an IV, and finally a medicine sent from Heaven, Procardia. I thankfully only had mild side effects to the medicine for the first two doses until my body got used to it. The worst part of the whole experience was the steroid shot-- I had to get 2. Right in the butt. OUCH! However, it'll be very beneficial to sweet little Eli if he doesn't stay in there for me to of had this round of shots.

I am currently on bed rest for a majority of the day, but thankfully am allowed to get up and do a few things here & there. We have kept up with the Procardia-- every 4 hours around the clock. I try to time my pee breaks in the middle of the night with my 2 doses of medicine, but so far have been unsuccessful :) David is tired, I am tired, Sadie is tired. At least Sadie & I can take naps during the day :)

These are a photographers version of a maternity shoot on bed rest:

Our photo "session" lasted about 10 minutes-- it pays to know photographers :) I had 4 that attended my baby shower (which was held at my house so all I had to do was walk downstairs and lounge in a chair! Will share pics later!) and so one snapped a few pictures for David & I before the shower. Don't worry- I changed into a pretty dress for the occasion :)

It's no secret that we've been really behind on preparing for Eli. I had (stupidly!) thought that I would have the end of June and all of July to prepare for him- as I wouldn't be shooting any more weddings, I would be finished up with the full time job at the end of June- and life would be smooth sailing until he came :) David has had to do most of the work in preparing the nursery for his arrival, and now he has to do almost everything for us! But he's a good sport and a wonderful husband and hasn't complained once!

Sadie & Daddy putting together the crib

(the above & below picture just makes me laugh so hard!)

..and here I am looking very large at 30+ weeks

I keep saying to myself, "there's no way I can get much bigger"

..and then I wake up the next day and it feels like i've doubled in size!

List of things.

2011-06-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Things people don't tell you about pregnancy..

1. The cute little flutters that you feel in your stomach when you first feel baby move will after a few weeks start HURTING. Especially when you get a good kick to the rib or a punch to the bladder.

2. When you've been hit hard in the bladder/cervix-- it may or may not feel like you just took a knife to the vajayjay. This can cause old men to freak out in Food Lion when it hits you for the first time and you almost double over. Try explaining a knife to the lower regions feeling to grandpa..Actually don't - I think it's best to just let them believe you're going into labor.

3. As much as you pride yourself on not gassin' it up around your husband.. it will eventually happen. Let's just hope yours doesn't shoot out of you by accident & scare your significant other to the point where they jump off the couch during a movie. Not that that has happened, I'm just sayin' ;)

4. A phrase you will hear from other people a lot is "sleep while you can" - but it really should just apply to the 1st & 2nd trimesters. Getting good sleep in the 3rd trimester sleep has not been easy.

5. Putting on panties is exercise. You can't imagine how hard it is to get the feet through those tiny holes! I feel like I should win an award each time I do it.

6. Water & rest are the cure for almost every problem in pregnancy.

7. You may have your fingers crossed for one sex over the other- but when you actually find out what you're having and he/she gets a name.. you couldn't imagine having the other gender.

8. No matter how long you were sick (20 weeks of MS for me!) or how much pain you're in (hello dislocated SI joint and seeing a PT twice a week!) ....it's worth it. Totally worth it.

..what am I missing?

Going too fast

2011-05-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

26 Weeks..

28 Weeks..

You can see a little bit of it in the background of the last two pictures- our new fence got installed this week! And Sadie is in Heaven! This is the first time she's really able to go without a leash..she just gets so excited being able to run that she has a hard time listening. I've been imagining another pair of feet being able to run around out there..and getting very excited!

Give or take, in 12 weeks I will meet my SON!

I cannot believe how quickly the past few months have flown.

Things will be slowing down quite a bit soon- and I'm excited to be able to get everything ready for him. I purchased the crib & dresser today. Fingers crossed it doesn't arrive damaged so we can just put it together when it comes and not have to deal with return & rebuy. I need to finish designing his room so I can get David to paint.

Bright & Bold

2011-05-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

We've been "in" our new house for about a month.. and like everything else, it's flown by! Now that we're more settled we can now focus on Eli's room! I am so excited to get things ready for him. I have always been drawn to the clean and crisp look -- I love decorating with WHITE! I thought that I would decorate his room the same way-- mainly white with just a few pops of color here & there...but then I came across this fabric that took my breath away and completely changed my mind:

(It's Alexander Henry's 2d Zoo in blue!)

I just love the bright & bold colors this fabric has. My SIL and her mother are going to make curtains, a pillow for the nursing chair, burp cloths, and a large blanket out of this fabric. I am debating whether to purchase one crib sheet using this fabric or going a bit more low key on the bedding. In this fabric I am also purchasing a shopping cart & car seat cover.

The nursery walls will be white with one blue accent wall (I'm thinking the color of the rhino!) and have been debating whether or not to paint one line of the greenish design on that wall- just in a brighter green.

I know a lady that does a great job painting, so I am going to have her put animals on separate large canvases for wall art. I'm thinking the turtle, elephant & giraffe.

His room will have a crib, dresser, bookcase, nursing chair & small table.

We only have 12 weeks left so it's time to get moving on all of these ideas swirling around in my head!

Heading down the hill..

2011-05-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

22 weeks..

24 weeks..

_________________________

Eli,

I didn't know it was possible to love someone that I've never met. I don't even know what you look like, yet I love everything about you. You were love and thought about before you were even created. I am a little nervous and I have put off preparing for your arrival- I guess part of me is scared that if I do prepare, I'll wake up from this dream any find myself without a belly..without you. You have changed my life forever- and I haven't even met you yet. I love you.

_________________________

Wives Tale Test

2011-05-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

Old Wives Tales- Are they correct?
Let's see if these old wives tales lead to me having a BOY! or a girl :)
1) Sleep Position

Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you'll have a boy. Right side? You're pregnant with a girl.

I fall asleep on my left :) [Boy]

2) Upset Stomach

Little girls aren't always sweet. Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter.

At almost 27 weeks I STILL get MS every once in a while! I had constant MS until 20 weeks. [girl]

3)Soft or Dry Hands

If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft—expect a girl.

They haven't changed [girl]

4)Food Cravings

Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you're craving citrus while pregnant, you're having a girl.

At the beginning of pregnancy I ate a lot of oranges-- [girl]

5) Adult Acne
If pregnancy hormones make your skin break out, expect a girl.

Hasn't been so bad-- [boy]

6) Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy
If you feel as though you're gliding through they day, you'll have a girl. Stumbling? It's a boy.

Well I haven't fallen or tripped.. [girl]

7) Face Weight Gain
If your face gets fuller, it means you're having a girl.

I don't think my face has grown any.. [boy]

8) Sugar and Spice Food Cravings
Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way. Need a little something sweet?

I've ALWAYS favored salty over sweet but now i've leaned more towards sweet options! [girl]

9) Mood Changes
If you're experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon.

My mood hasn't really changed- [boy]

10) High or Low Pregnant Belly
If you're carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy. If it's high, you're having a girl.

I'm carrying lowwwww. [boy]

11) Baby Weight
If you're carrying baby in front, it's a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle?

Pretty much just at the belly-- [boy]

12) Pendulum Test
Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm. If it swings back and forth: boy. In a circle: girl.

I actually don't have a chain with a charm..it's still packed up somewhere! [neither]

13) Model Your Hands
"Show me your hands." If you would hold your hands palms up it's a girl. Down? You're having a boy.'

I would show them palms up. [girl]

14) Toddler Advice
Get baby advice from a nephew or friend's little boy. If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you'll have a girl. If he ignores you, it's a boy.

A friends little boy guessed I was having a girl.. [girl]

15) Eat Garlic
Guess the baby's sex by eating garlic. If the smell seeps out of your pores it's a boy. If there's no scent it's a little girl.

Skipping this one.. eek! [neither]

16) Key to Pregnancy
If you pick up a key by the round end, you're having a boy. If it's by the long end? A girl.

Round end--- [boy]

17)Even and Odd Numbers
If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it's girl. One even, one odd means a boy.

One even, one odd- [boy]

18) Baby's Heartbeat
If the baby's heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you're pregnant with a girl. Less than 150, it's a boy.

It's consistently been above 150. [girl]

19) Stress Test
A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.

Hmm.. that's a tough one! I would say that David is typically less stressed than I am.. [boy]

20) Dream Meanings

If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.

I have had dreams of pink....[boy]

21) Breast Size
If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you are having a girl. If the left is larger, it's a baby boy.

They look the same to me :) [neither]

Total: Boy-10 Girl-8 Neither-3

Looks like a majority of the old wives tales are CORRECT!

My sweet little boy.

2011-05-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

We found out a few weeks ago that we are the parents of a sweet little boy.

"Parents" - When did we become old?

My husband- a Father! His wife- a Mother!

& our sweet little baby

he has a name- Eli Adam.

I am so in love with this little fella.

Four weeks have passed since we took the above pictures.

Life seems to be stuck on "fast forward"

Next week, I will be 25 weeks pregnant with only 15 to go!

Getting rid of the extras

2011-04-17T07:17:00.001-07:00

Between searching for our new home, working full time, running a business, AND growing a baby-- there has been no time for anything else! We closed on our new home Friday (more about that later!) and have begun the long process of packing up and getting everything ready for the move. Thankfully the home is new and is painted all one color. That may be less than ideal, but the positive is we do not have to paint over anyone else's hideous choices.

I am excited to go through everything we own and either throw away or donate things that haven't been used in six months. I have never been one to hold on to a lot of "stuff" but we still have to trim the extras and go to this new home with the essential items. You know.. in order to pile on more junk!

Now the "fun" things of being a new homeowner get to happen.. like paying $200+ to change the locks on the four doors that lead to the outside of your house. That one still hurts!!

14-15

2011-03-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

14 weeks!

15 weeks!

I am 15+ weeks pregnant! I cannot believe we're almost halfway there! It still doesn't feel real yet, but I can put the fetal doppler on my belly and know that it's real. I am so excited to feel the baby move and to know what the gender is.

Speaking of feeling REAL, one thing that is VERY real is this lower back pain I am having.. OUCH! I had seen my obgyn for it twice and they referred me to a PT for pregnant women. I had my first appointment today and they found out that my hip is shifting out of place. She would correct it and within minutes it would shift again! For the next 8 weeks I will be wearing a belt & seeing her 2x/week and then it will go down to 1 visit/week for the remainder of the pregnancy. Today I got heat & massage therapy-- it was kind of nice! She also gave me some information to take home because David has to help me align the hip twice a day..

Pregnancy Highlights { 14 weeks

2011-02-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 14 weeks!

Size of baby: 3.5 inches -- about the size of a lemon!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I gained 1 pound then I lost 4 (thank you morning sickness!) but I need to weigh myself at the same time each day. I prefer mornings :)

Maternity Clothes: Maternity jeans for sure. I bought some regular dresses that I'll be able to wear throughout the pregnancy (I hope!) but I do not need maternity tops right now. Hoping to keep tops/dresses in regular sizes as long as I can!

Gender: We'll find out in 6 weeks :)

Movement: Nothing yet!

Sleep: I'm finally feeling like I don't NEED 10 hours of sleep at night!

What I miss: Running! Recently running has made me really dizzy so I stay away from it-- I'm hoping to try again this week.

Cravings: I've had 2 so far, and they weren't healthy ones! Long John Silver's Chicken Planks & Little Ceasars Italian Cheese Bread :)

Symptoms: Morning sickness is my only symptom right now-- and it is still going on.. I had 2 good days this week (13 weeks) with NO sickness so I hope it's tapering off!

10-12 Weeks

2011-02-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have gone by really quickly!

11 weeks!

12 week pictures..

Confessions { Part 1

2011-02-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

I see many posts like this in my future.. today's topic is: Confessions of a pregnant 1st time mom.

Last week I ordered a fetal dopler so I could hear little love's heartbeat at home anytime I wanted. It arrived yesterday and I was so excited to test it out so I ran out to my car (I was at work) and was surprised at how easy it was to find the heart beat. I even called my mom to listen in! When I got off work I stopped by my MIL so she too could hear the heartbeat..once again I picked it up very quickly! Then I got home and had to call Dad, Grandma & little sister so they could hear it too.

As it turns out.. I was picking up my OWN heartbeat-- I only figured this out when I was playing around with it and heard the same sound on the OTHER side. Oops :) :) I finally located the baby's heart beat but it didn't stay for long and I couldn't locate it again. I was able to pick it up better this morning after about 5 minutes of trying.

2011-01-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

Since work banned Facebook (yes, I know, I'm still recovering) I have had to find other things to fill my day with. I used to work 8 hours straight but quickly realized there was no fun in that. 5 minute "sanity breaks" here and there are heaven's gift to the work day.

Of course a lot of my breaks are spent checking babycenter.com and I really need to stay off of those boards.. those women will scare you into thinking you're pregnant with Satan! Twitter is also nice, but it just doesn't compare to Facebook! I have found this website though that is pretty darn lovely....

Pinterest!

Within Pinterest you are able to "pin" different items do boards you categorize. It allows you to create your own dream land of pretty things.. I have cateogories for the future house, ideas for baby, portraits I adore, and many more! (The link above takes you to MY pinterest!)

Here are a few of my favorite things from my "home" cateogory!

Clearly, I am obsessed with grey and white! It's just so clean and fresh! I even used it when I rebranded my business I went with those colors and a pop of a yellow tone! Unfortunately a lot of other people are starting to love grey & yellow too..but hopefully they'll be on to something new soon! :)

9 weeks!

2011-01-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

I am 9 weeks today!

In 3 weeks we will be considered in the “safe zone” but my DR is already confident that everything will go as we hope.

Yes.. I know I’m huge! Ignore the fact that my belly is already the biggest part of my body!
We still have a LONG way to go in this journey but I am so excited!

P.S. I am still trying to figure out if pregnancy cravings are REAL or just an excuse for mama’s to eat what they want..can someone fill me in on this?

2nd Ultrasound

2011-01-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

We have completed 8 weeks of pregnancy! We had a 2nd ultrasound last Tuesday, January 11th (8w1d) and the heartbeat increased to 158bpm! With the increase in heartbeats, my tummy size has also increased! The (terrible quality phone pic!) belly shot was taken at 8w3d and if you scroll back a little to the 5 week picture you will see a BIG change! I am going to have David take a better quality picture tomorrow.

This week I have been pretty tired, typically taking a nap when I get home from work. I get little bursts of energy here & there and do not spend all of my time on the couch. Nausea is pretty constant but I am still able to eat.

I had 3 sessions here this weekend, at my "home studio" and realized that right now, doing back to back sessions is not something that I can do! My lower back was killing me after I was finished.

Waiting Game

2011-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy is one big waiting game and it's really hard to be patient.

waiting for..

~~the appointment confirming the pregnancy~~

~~the first heartbeat to make sure everything is okay..~~

~~the right time to tell family~~

the right time to announce the pregnancy

the baby bump as a physical sign

the first trimester to.be.over.

the ultrasound that tells whether the baby is a boy or girl

sweet baby G to arrive!

I know that there is a LOT that is going to happen between the u/s letting us know what we're having and the arrival of our sweet baby..but mainly I'm just anxious to get out of the first trimester.

Terms

2011-01-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

It is still strange to me that I am "with child" I hope it is more realistic to me when I am showing. I am longing for the moments when people can tell just by looking at me.. currently I am in the "top button on jeans doesn't want to button" stage. That's a hard stage!

"Sickness" is completely different with pregnancy. When I get sick I can immediately eat again and I don't have to stay in bed and watch TV all day (although that would be nice!). People don't have to stay away from me for fear that they'll catch whatever I've got (although if YOU'RE sick please stay away from ME!).

6 weeks behind us!

2011-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

6 weeks behind us in our pregnancy.. it's still so early on! The time has passed quickly and I'm hoping it continues to do so for the next few weeks!

I am almost 7 weeks pregnant! I believe we will share the good news around 8 weeks. I cannot wait for everyone to find out..and finally be able to "publish" these blog posts! At our first ultrasound we were told baby is 4mm in length, this week baby will grow to almost 13mm! (Think of a large blueberry!) It is so strange to think that something started between David & I is now the size of a large blueberry and will eventually weigh about 6 pounds before we get to meet him/her!

This week, our baby's mouth & tongue are forming! The eyes have a retina & lens and the major muscle systems are continuing to develop. This is a big week for baby as he/she will begin to produce their own blood. Baby is also swimming around her home!

Baby is making me very sick, but I keep reminding myself it will not last forever! It's strange to think that something I cannot even see is causing so much sickness. (And the boobs..ohhh the poor sore boobs!)

I am a natural side sleeper although every night I have woken up to find myself sleeping on my back! I have never been a back sleeper and this little habit needs to quit before the 2nd trimester!

First Appointment

2011-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Meet Baby Garrison :)

We saw our baby for the first time on Thursday, December 30 around 3:15 PM. It was love at first sight.

I was really nervous before the appointment, thinking crazy thoughts like, "What if they tell me I'm not really pregnant?" I have had blood tests (and multiple pregnancy tests!) to confirm that it IS true..that we ARE going to be parents..so I tried to quiet the voices in my head.

The best part of the appointment was unexpected..hearing our baby's heartbeat! Going strong at 122bpm.

I cannot wait until our next ultrasound! Our little blur will look more like a baby!

6 weeks

2010-12-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

6 Weeks Pregnant

I'm not going to lie.. my baby's "picture" this week scares me a little..! The baby is roughly half the size of a baby pea..so tiny!! Thursday we have our first ultrasound and we should be able to see a heart beat!

"Before" Picture

2010-12-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Christmas.

It's the day we were supposed to give our families the greatest gift..news of our pregnancy!

However, 15 minutes after we found out we were in the car headed to my inlaws to share the news and then called my parents when we got back home.

I am 5 (and a half!) weeks pregnant..the "picture" is more of a i'llneverseeyouagainsoIwantedtorememberyou type because lets face it, I will never look the same. I have to be honest- I am still getting used to that fact.

We are still very early in the pregnancy and are praying hard.

I got all of my test results back from the "first trimester screening" and was they all look good. My beta level on Friday was 375 and went to 1292 on Monday. So my levels doubled in 1.68 days :)

Facts:

There are 241 days before my due date

9% of my pregnancy has passed, there is 91% left to go.

I will be out of the first trimester on Valentine's Day :)

(All of the %s make me seem very smart..thank you calculator! I cannot do any math in my head!)

Prayer

2010-12-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

I am currently running a fever-- 100.1 (which is a HIGH fever for me..I never run them!) and I have a mix of emotions ranging from anxious to scared. I have taken Tylenol twice, something I didn't really want to do- but I feel it's best to make sure the fever is down as much as possible.

I am praying that this sickness will not harm the sweet little baby bean growing inside of me. I just hit 5 weeks pregnant on Monday and this is not the situation that I want to be in. However, I am learning to lean on the Lord and to give my worries to him.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Phil 4:6

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear." -Luke 12:22

Lord,

Thank you for the blessing that you have given me so quickly after it was prayed about. I now come with prayer requests for this sweet little baby that is inside of me. I pray that the baby will remain safe while I am facing this fever/sickness. I pray your hands of protection around my body and that the sickness will pass quickly. If I need to see a doctor, please give them wisdom on the best course of action.

The beginning

2010-12-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

It's true!!

"While the hourglass was blinking, I was praying. Praying that no matter what the outcome, I would be at peace..but secretly hoping those words would pop up on the screen. It's funny to think now that I was praying while "secretly" hoping..God knows the desires of my heart. and He has blessed us with a pregnancy!"

The story:

A few days before my cycle in November we decided that after it had run its course, we would start "trying" I had just gotten a bunch of requests for fall weddings, and I didn't want to book them "just incase" we got pregnant in November. I had a little spark of hope that we would get pregnant on the first try, but I knew that was probably unlikely.

My cycle is VERY regular..to the extent that I know the day "it" will come. I was at Dollar Tree a few days before I was supposed to start and figured that I might as well stock up because "all tests are the same" (wrong!!) Test after test, negative. Even once "it" was supposed to be here..negative..morning, afternoon, middle of the night..all negative..but I still hadn't started. I thought that maybe I was thinking about it too much and that had pushed my cycle back a few days.

On Tuesday I texted David & asked him to pick up an EPT test then decided that I would just wait a few days to see if my period came and told him "nevermind" on making the stop. Later that night, I got that "feeling" that I wanted to take a different brand test so David went out and bought the EPT digital.. Took it & sure enough.. it said pregnant!! I was alone when I took the test and while the hourglass was blinking, I was praying. Praying that no matter what the outcome, I would be at peace..but secretly hoping those words would pop up on the screen. It's funny to think now that I was praying while "secretly" hoping..God knows the desires of my heart. and He has blessed us with a pregnancy! We found out December 14, 2010 around 9PM.

Our due date is August 22, 2010

The day before my birthday.

Looks like I've got a Christmas AND Birthday gift this year!

Husbands, Simple Prayers & Babies

2010-11-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

I say my prayers at night. I would love to be the woman sitting at the kitchen table in the morning with a hot cup of tea reading scripture and spending quiet time with the Lord before starting my day, but I'm not. I have a problem- the problem is getting out of bed. I have been cursed for as long as I can remember with this problem and had many lights turned on, voices raised, cups of water threatened to be thrown in my face (although it never happened!) to try and get me out of bed. I am a lover of sleep..and dreams- I love my dreams. All of that to say; I spend my time in scripture and in my prayer journal at night- and each night I count my blessings and state what I am thankful for.

Leading up to Thanksgiving, and finishing out November, I would like to write one thing I'm thankful for each day {

November 1, 2010
Simple Prayers.

Many times a I say simple prayers, "Lord I am thankful for the love you have shown me, the grace you have given me, and the forgiveness that I do not deserve" I need to copyright that.

November 2, 2010
Husbands.

Well, my husband. I couldn't imagine another person i'd rather spend my life with. He. is. amazing. And Cute.

November 3, 2010
Phones.

My phone broke this week, but thankfully David has 3! Yes, 3. One personal and two for work, so I didn't have to live my fear of whathappensifIbreakdownandhavenophone. I am thankful for the ability to make a call whenever I want and no matter where I am whether it be for personal, business, or emergency situations.

November 4, 2010

Stability.

David and I both have solid jobs. In this troubling economy, we have not had to worry when our next meal would be or how we would pay for a certain bill. I think sometimes we may take that for granted, I always feel like we could save more, give more, but I'm thankful for what we've got.

November 5, 2010

Possibilities.

I have always heard, "I Plan, God Laughs" - Currently David & I are "planning" when we would like to start a family. You see, being a photographer who books weddings a year in advance, I have to have a certain cut off. As of right now I have been spoken to but have no contracts on any fall dates--so I might make June the cut off for 2011 weddings and see about possibly starting a family. We'll see :)

Getting through

2010-10-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today finally feels like Fall! Although we are SO close to November, we have been seeing 80+ degree days and that is just NOT Fall weather! Even though it has been an extremely hot fall, I have found one thing that has made the hot days a little sweeter:

Pumpkin Spice Kisses. Oh My lands.

I should have just strapped two bags to my hips.

Hoping to start blogging more so I tried sprucing up my blog a little.. I downloaded a kit from Shabby Princess!

Halloween Haunt

2010-10-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Kings Dominion puts on a "really scary" event during weekends in October. David & I are really into all things scary, so we thought we'd check it out since neither of us had ever been. What we didn't realize was that part of the spookyness was getting to ride the rides at dark-- we don't "do" roller coasters. We knew that they would have some buildings set up, but the lines..oh the lines were LONG! We were only able to do one thing which wasn't very scary and then decided to get dippin' dots before heading home. We're going to just stick to the "spooky hayrides" closer to our home from now on.

Taking care of business..

2010-09-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Today I won a small victory in a large war..I paid off my highest interest student loan today! It was 9.75%..eek!

Although I have completely been overworked the past few months, I have been saving a great deal. (I probably should have made higher payments to those loans..but I liked seeing the $$!) The ONE benefit of running a business while working full time! I have three main accounts, a personal account where my $ from my job goes, a business account, and a savings account. Money gets put into the savings account each month and when we purchase a house (soooooon!!!) I will use that money for all the furniture, decor, paint, floors, and other things we may need to get to make it our home. The savings account is important to me because I want those nice things- I could pay off another student loan (or two!) if it weren't there, but then I would have no savings...and I like watching that go up every month. Now..don't go looking at that money tree up there and think I've got one..because I don't. I don't save everything that I could, and in fact I need to be MUCH better about budgeting but I am really thankful to have kicked that one student loan to the curb. The interest rates are just RIDICULOUS! I cringe when I think about how much more I've got left..but this was a definite start!

Naked (not me!)

2010-09-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

David & I went to the mall recently to get my bracelet (that he bought for our anniversary!) resized. While we were there I stumbled over to the Sephora store, where I always look but hardly ever purchase anything (and instead rack up a TON of Covergirl/Avon/Mary Kay-type makeup that I don't use all of before I purchase something else! Good thinking, I know!) I was on the path of needing an intervention, especially with eye shadow..until I found this:

Now I can throw out ALL my other eye shadow products! I wish they had a better name for it, but it does catch your eye. The set is $44 in store (and apparently goes VERY quickly when in stock, there were only 2 left, and retails for $90 online--ebay/amazon-type of sites) This is by far the BEST eye shadow i've ever come across. All the colors look amazing and that little bottle of eyeshadow primer "potion" is sent from Heaven. The shadow stays on all day and looks fabulous! I am refraining from going back and checking out other Urban Decay products!

(not paid for this post in any way- although I wish I had been to save myself $44!)

Couch + Baby = Awesome

2010-08-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my brother, sister in law & niece came in for a visit! They were here for almost two weeks and I was happy I had no weddings the weekend they were in so I could go to my parents house & visit. Thankfully my parents only live an hour and forty-five minutes away although I do not make the trip nearly as much as I should.

Before I left on Sunday afternoon I spent a few minutes with them for a little "mini" session! And the super cute little couch? Free! I. Love. It. I may have to get a bigger car now because it will not fit in my Mazda.. :-)

Today is Abbi's half-birthday..happy 6 months sweet baby!

You're mine!

2010-08-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

As a little birthday (Aug. 23rd) present to MYSELF I bought this guy today. I've had my eye on him since they came out and I cannot wait to get my hands on it! My 5D has video, but 1. I haven't used it and 2. who wants to lug that around? No one, except I do, for 8 hour weddings and portrait sessions. I also got a nifty underwater case because my husband is quite the fish and thought it would be fun to so some silly underwater videos.

I am really trying to get back in the blogging world here and so there is a chance you may see one of our videos next week :-)

Making Effort

2010-07-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sadie is not allowed on our bed. We love her dearly and if my husband had his way she would snuggle up next to me at night (and I don't like to snuggle at night!) but Sadie always manages to find her way to me and maybe it's because her Daddy is all muscle and her Momma's got a few comfy curves. Sadie sheds..a lot.. and THAT is the main reason she is not allowed on the bed- I don't like waking up with a blanket (dog hair) on me!

Recently as I am getting into bed and about to say my prayers I am distracted by the amount of hair on the bed. How can this be? She is not allowed on the bed! Our rotten little girl is sneaking up on the bed during the day and taking herself a nice nap. How do I know this? I came home the other day and she was sleeping (on the bed!!) so soundly that I didn't wake her up when I came in the door, shut the door, or dropped the groceries on the floor. I even got to take a picture before she decided to wake up. What a stinker!!A few weeks ago we went to my in-laws for a cook out before my BIL went back to Afghanistan. This is the first time I've been IN a picture in a LONG time! David & I have a session scheduled with a friend next week so when we get those pictures back I will have a reason to blog and will be sure to post some! I cannot wait for the session! That's one of the best things about being a photographer, swapping sessions!!

Our nieces & nephews with their water balloons & guns.. How fun is this picture? :) I want to put it on a canvas and place it above the fireplace.

...until next time!

New Orleans

2010-06-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last month I went to New Orleans/Biloxi for a business trip.

I am not a good flyer- So on the way down I took some pills [Nerve Tonic- CVS!] that worked WONDERS and I wasn't a mess at all. [they also do NOT make you sleepy! Just...calm] However, the day we were leaving to fly back I did not feel anxious and decided I didn't NEED the pills. Big.Mistake. Halfway through the first flight I was throwing up and decided I couldn't take the 2nd connecting flight (only 30 minutes!) home so I instead paid $300, rented a car, and drove 4 hours home. What a trip. Next time I'll KNOW better than to try and play it cool. Just take the meds, Meg.

I wasn't going to lug around my big camera so I purchased a Nikon Coolpix (and i'm a CANON shooter! Gasp!) to snap a few pictures while I was there. When I got there I honestly wanted a break from shooting so I hardly pulled out my camera, however--there were a few times that I remembered this was my first time in the area and it should be documented and this is what I got:

As soon as I decide on sizes & placement I will be blowing up a few of these for the walls at home!

Listen to yourself

2010-05-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Those that follow me on Twitter or Facebook know that for quite a while now I have been dealing with migraines. My first one was in June of last year. I went to the doctor the next day because I had never experienced such pain. I started a new birth control, the Nuva Ring in May and had a check up sometime early July to discuss how it was going and if I had experienced any side effects. I told the Doctor (obgyn) about the migraine and the constant headaches, but he assured me it would have happened sooner if it were linked to the Nuva Ring. Over the next 9 months the migraines would become more frequent and I would have many tests done to see exactly why the migraines were always in the same spot. In March I had 2-3 a week with the final one lasting 4 days. I took every medicine I was prescribed and nothing would knock that migraine. It would go away for a little, but the pressure was still there, and I honestly didn't know how I would live my life with such constant headaches. It was very frustrating because I just wanted to know why I was getting them and even keeping a food & headache journal provided no insight on pattern.

After the 4-day migraine I had the mentality that "I don't care what you say (Neurologist, OBGYN, or Family Doctor!) it has GOT to be the birth control!" so I stopped taking it. I had a one withdrawal migraine and haven't had even the slightest headache since. I've gone headache free for a little over a month and it.is.glorious.

Now, this could all be a big coincidence and I could get more migraines in the future, but for now I'm just thankful that I decided to take action against something and for now it as worked. I've had issues with every sort of birth control I've ever taken (mostly just break through bleeding) so at this point, we're just being careful :)

(p.s. I really enjoyed the Nuva Ring, besides the whole idratherdiemigraines. Medicine effects everyone differently, i'm not saying they should ban the Nuva Ring, it just didn't work for me.)

Look what arrived { Mamarazzi's Swap!

2010-03-11T13:36:00.001-08:00

I have been a part of a few swaps that Mamarazzi has hosted.. and this one (much like the others) was So. Much. Fun. When I got home I had a package on my door step and I knew just what it was.. :) my swap package from Random Musings!! Which is pretty neat because I actually read her blog!

Here's what she sent.. I can't wait to use it all!

1. A beaaaautiful pink pashmina scarf.
2. Four nail polishes (going to put the purplish one on tonight! We've had a touch of Spring around here and that color will be very fitting!)
3. Candy! I LOVE Swedish fish too <3 style="font-weight: bold;">candles. And a set of refills for the Glade!
5. Nail polish remover pads.. I have never used the pads- looking forward to it!
6. Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara. Now this is where it gets interesting. She sent me "the best mascara ever!" and I sent HER "the best mascara ever!" looks like there's gonna be a little battle :)
7. Lipgloss. I have already tried the Nivea.. and it's GREAT! There were actually 4 in the box but they somehow fell between the cracks when I took the picture..so here's another one:
8. Loreal Skin Genesis (Cleansing Towelettes). Guess what I JUST ran out of last night (it was a different brand though!) now I don't have to run to the store for more.. you rock!
9. (which somehow didn't make it into the picture) The cutest note cards.

This was a great swap~ Thanks SO much Musings!

Favorite things Swap-- I'm doing it, you should too!

2010-02-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

Mamarazzi is hosting another favorite things swap! I have done a few of her swaps and they are always fabulous! Click below to see how you can join in!

Sweet cuddles!

2010-02-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

My NIECE is HERE!

She was a little chunker.. 9.5 lbs!

John has yet to post any quality pictures (which is making me crazy!)

but we did get a few sneak peaks from his phone.

I am flying out there in 2.5 weeks and CANNOT WAIT! It's going to be 4 days of cuddles, kisses, and photographs! John is a firemen (and a pastor too!) and has some new (hasn't been in a fire!) turnout gear that he wants to incorporate in sweet Abbi's newborn session. Ideas are swirling and I'm so excited to have a couple days to do some creative shooting. I have already sent her a birthday box filled with essential goodies that a new baby needs.

Alert!

2010-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

I know it's not too uncommon for me to be a sporadic blogger, but I have a real reason this time! For those that have been keeping up with me for a while (Thank you!) will know that I used to live in DC, moved from DC and kept the same job when I got married, started a photography business, lost DC job due to the economy. Well, I accepted a full-time job offer and have been working for the past two weeks! I work for an energy consulting firm in Richmond- and I have to say, God provides at just the right time! In a few weeks I will begin repaying my student loans--and although I could have done that with the business photography is bringing in, I would just be making the minimum payments and not being able to save. So-- the job is going to knock out those loans in A LOT less time (and save money! Interest is CRAZY!)

This past weekend I also hosted a boudoir marathon which was the best one yet & check here over the next few days to see some sneak peaks!

I'm doing it!

2010-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

My name is Megan and I have an addiction.
I am 100% addicted to FOOD!

A lot of days I don't feel "full" until I eat something I know I shouldn't. (my biggest weakness is carbs!..and Chik Fil A) I feel like a fat man trapped in a petite body. I try to have a homemade smoothie in the morning (strawberries, low-fat yogurt, OJ..Yummy!) but ruin my healthy eating and exercise with constant snacking & the more-than-once-weekly trip to a fast food joint.

I am working on creating healthy weekly menus in order to avoid the 5pm "oh no what are we going to eat for dinner?" feeling which usually leads to processed dinners-- which i'm kind of sick of!

So here's where I need your help!

What is your favorite (pretty healthy) recipe?

This dog of mine

2010-01-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get back in the mode of taking pictures just for myself [the lack of personal pictures is going to change in 2010!] here is my first set for 2010..

Sadie is part of our neighborhood watch..

The Sweet Life

2010-01-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't say that David and I are boring.. we are just pretty busy and don't go out a lot! Besides dinner dates and movies I mean-- we do that quite a bit, but we don't really see the bar scene ever. We just aren't big on drinking- in fact we normally don't even keep alcohol in the house! However, with last night being New Years Eve-- we wanted to go out and celebrate!

I hate my phone pictures- eeek! But it seems less work than pulling out my 50D. I need to purchase a little point & shoot to carry with me because it's pretty sad the amount of pictures I take on a personal level right now! My top was really cute though, hopefully one of our friends captured a picture that I can post!

I am looking forward to seeing what 2010 holds for us! Hopefully it includes getting a final answer of where we'll be "stationed" with Davids job so we can start house hunting and then work on making beautiful babies! David is civilian and there's a good chance we get to stay here because that's what we've requested, but there's always a chance we could go somewhere else. I wouldn't mind Hawaii if it weren't so far away! We are also looking into VA Beach..but only time will tell!

The end!

2009-12-14T16:57:00.001-08:00

I accidentally deleted my blog roll... again.
I'll slowly be adding everyone back!

I went to a job interview the other day (for an awesome job that requires some travel to London!!) and I think it went really well-- they are hoping to make a decision by the end of the year so I'm ~~keeping my fingers crossed~~ praying!

I also just shot my last wedding for 2009- it was bittersweet! I'm sad I have to wait a few months for another wedding, but I am definitely going to enjoy the downtime to work on a few things. Here is one of my favorite images from the wedding..

Hope everyone has a great week!

The Day...

2009-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days I would have liked to of hit the restart button. Unless that means that the day would have been the same and in that case No. Thank. You! Let's see... I..

..woke up later than normal which made my day seem weird
..had to sit around waiting for the Fed Ex guy to deliver something I needed a few days ago who doesn't knock very loudly
and doesn't leave my package if I don't answer
..couldn't join the Richmond Bridal Expo (what I thought was going to help round out my 2010 weddings) because they're full
..and there's already a waiting list for July's show
..didn't have any yogurt for my daily smoothie
..dropped sugar allllll over the floor (not for smoothie..made tea)
..missed an accident by ---- much..someone pulled out in front of me
..not only slammed on the brakes but also slammed my knee while frantically reaching for the brakes
..was walking out of the gym talking to David and missed the curb and fell
..once I hit the ground I said "I hate today" and burst in tears

The good news is that i'm alive. Living and breathing with a roof over my head. And that even though I haven't found a full time job yet (even though photography keeps me plenty busy--still in the business building stage) my husband can provide for the both of us.. and our sweet Sadie.. but we said no babies until I can get a steady paycheck coming in. And a house-- I want a house to put those babies in.

How was YOUR day?

I want..

2009-12-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

I want to run a marathon.
(This girl is a constant motivation for me!)

I love running. I love running more than any other physical activity because I get so bored with the others. With running, I don't have time to get bored. I've got the music blasting in my ears and the constant pain in my legs. Oh yes, there's a problem. I am constantly "running through the pain" but the problem is my legs give out waaaay before my head does. I thought it may be shin splints, but apparently after I saw a doctor I was told it's the muscle behind/beside the "shin." I've never had a problem with them before (I used to run Cross Country) and have only had a problem with them in the past couple of months.

Today, I had to stop after 2.80 miles. I couldn't even make it 3 miles. Once I got to the car I couldn't hold the tears back. It's frustrating.

Guess it's time to go see a specialist because I'm tired of running through the pain.

Light up my life..

2009-11-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

We put up our 2009 Christmas tree today!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year, we traveled to my parents house and my brother & his wife came in from Kentucky and we got to shoot a few maternity pictures for them.. I cannot wait to meet Miss A* when she arrives in January/February!

The thing is..

2009-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Why have I been so absent from blog land? Because there is only so many things a ~~unemployed~~ photographer can talk about besides.. well.. photos! (And I already HAVE a photoblog for that!) Photography has seriously kept me so completely busy that I even had to miss what would have been a very fun bloggy meet up organized by Lis Loves. Weddings are obviously the source of income for me, and family sessions are just fun! I will be doing two bridal shows in January so I hope that helps round out 2010 business for me. God has been good, every time I get a little discouraged- a client contacts me to book. (Perhaps I should just become depressed...then I'd be RICH!? Just kidding, God!)

I do keep up with my blog friends every day.. if by keeping up can be considered just reading your blogs and being too lazy to sign into THIS blogger account rather than the photobusiness one..

After over a year of living here, David and I have FOUND a church! I think we have at least.. it has really impressed me. See, David was raised Catholic and I was raised Baptist, Southern Baptist to be exact, so finding a middle ground was pretty tough. I thought "oh we'll just go to a non-denominational church" and went one Sunday to a church I passed on the way to a session. Bad. Move. The pastor actually came up to us before the service and asked about our background, when David said he was raised Catholic the pastor let out a chuckle and said, "Well you're in for a REAL treat here!" We probably should have left then. It was.. a little crazy to say the least. The new church is big and contemporary, but not crazy. I was in love the moment I walked in the door. I really hope to get involved in small groups and volunteer when I can.

Happy Birthday to the BEST man I know!

2009-10-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Today I am celebrating my husband's birthday. Did you ever create "a list" of the characteristics your husband would have? Well, I did, and David has every. single. one. of. them.

In celebrating his birthday I want to write 26 reasons why I am so in love with him (although there are many, MANY more!):

1. He is honest with me. He has never done anything to be the least bit dishonest or deceiving with me. I cherish that.
2. He values his family.
3. He makes me laugh. daily.
4. He loves to hang out with just me--something I was not used to in past relationships but always desired.
5. He prays with me.
6. He has the best work ethic and is a great provider.
7. He supports me. I couldn't have started a photography business without his support. He is an amazing backbone of this business I am trying to build. He sits down and looks at the pictures I take with me and that is so special to me.
8. He is a gift from God. Our meeting, our relationship, our marriage..all brought together by God.
9. He constantly tells me he loves me.
10. He is SUCH a man of integrity.
11. He goes out of his way to help people. One time we saw a car broken down in the middle of the road with someone inside and no one was helping the car. David pulled over and pushed the car out of the way. It was an older lady who had no way of getting the car moved out of the way.
12. He's strong. Ohhh his muscles ;) He takes such good care of his body.
13. For the Father he will be. I cannot wait to make babies with this man because I know he's going to be the best Daddy!
14. He's respectful. Not just to me and his family, but everyone he meets.
15. His hugs are the. best. ever. And he never lets go until I'm ready.
16. He protects me.
17. He is so intelligent! Graduated college with a degree in biology and is in the top 15% of his class with his Master's!
18. He kisses me goodbye with an "I love you" every morning before he goes to work.
19. He surprises me with little gifts. He is so thoughtful.
20. He helps with the housework without me asking.
21. He is a good steward of money.
22. His 'down time' includes playing football on his PS3 and not getting drunk with his friends.
23. He is a good listener..and the best secret-keeper ever.
24. He values my input.
25. He is the most unselfish, caring man I know.
26. He is my best friend, my lover, my husband, my everything.

Happy 26th Birthday, David! I love you more than I could ever express through words or silly lists. Today, I am thanking God for you and praying for many more years to be your wife and celebrate who you are.

The 411

2009-10-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I am realizing just how great life is. I mean sure, there are always going to be bumps in the road, but overall..things are good. I am hoping to get back into blogging..I like to keep a record of things and one day I would like to put it all together in a book (at least the funny/exciting posts!)

So here is what has been going on..

I am still not working other than my photography business, but trust me that has kept me busy enough! October is booked with 3 weddings, a completely filled boudoir marathon, and many portrait sessions. I am truly enjoying every second of it. I could continue on and not get a full time job, but like I've said before I (we) want to save as much as we can for the future (I hear children aren't cheap!) and it'll be nice to be able to have a cushion.
There is a plus sign of being home..there are always vacuum lines in my carpet..and I LOVE vacuum lines. :-)
Since today was Oct 1 it's officially "Fall" to me. Today consisted of the yummy aroma of pumpkin spice candles lit in various places around the house.
Today also marks the first time in our married life that we sat down at the table to eat. Isn't that crazy? We've been married over a year! We like watching our favorite shows and eating at the same time..so the couch is where it happens. It almost felt like we were at a restaurant, except that I had to clean up afterwards! :-) I think we will try and keep that up a few times a week. It's nice to sit there with no distractions and just talk.

The BEST thing for runners!

2009-09-09T14:38:00.001-07:00

Maybe you have found this website and aren't like me who after a run I hop in the car & track my distance. After my run today (which was GLORIOUS!) I came in and was going to try and mapquest it or something, and instead, I found THIS website!! The link will take you right to a map and you can put in your address and draw out on the map where you ran. Super easy!

Brightened my day..

2009-09-03T14:04:00.001-07:00

"Don't worry about where the baby is"

Taken in Richmond, VA

(others can be found by clicking the link)

[un]fashionable

2009-08-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have always been into fashion..I just have never been "in" fashion. For instance..David & I went to the mall today. To the mall. That has a billion stores. And I only found 1 pair of jeans. There has not been too many times that I have found more than a couple of things at any given shopping trip.

I have a TON of clothes, but the problem is I wear only a few of them. (Too tight, too old, too something!) A lot of the clothes I have were bought in the early college years (and maybe a few from highschool too!) and it's just time for new clothes!

So glad that fall/winter is close. I feel much better "in my skin" with a few layers on. I don't own a pair of shorts, and I have always been one to put a tank top under shirts..so you can see where the summer months make me just a little hot.

..If I ever win the lottery (which is pretty high in VA right now!) I will have a personal stylist.

Things I love..

2009-08-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVED this week..

Eating.

Had fresh homemade salsa for lunch

Pulled pork BBQ is in the crockpot for dinner as we speak

David.

Celebrating my Birthday with him (this past Sunday)

He took the day off Monday so we could hang out and when I woke up he suprised me with a trip to the waterpark.

Snugglin' up to the him & watching a movie

(There is no hidden message in this post. The big & bold do not go together. For instance do not put "Loved" "Eating" "David" together & call the cops because you think that I have eaten my husband. I have not.)

I . am . done .

2009-08-18T17:57:00.001-07:00

My days of being an ungrad are officially over. I have completed my bachelor's degree!

..and now I am going into job search mode. My "plan" is to put the money I make from my "job" into savings so that when we have children if I want to take a litle extra time off (or perhaps then switch to full-time photography!) I will have a nice cushion behind me. Photography money will be used to expand the business and for spending. Because of David's job (he just got a nice raise! and will get another nice raise this time next year!) I do not have to work, but hey, I like the money! Plus, I am excited about savinggg.

Addicting

2009-08-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

The smell of David's cologne stops me in my tracks
I even sprayed it on his pillow last night
because he's on a business trip this week.
I miss him more this trip that I ever have before
I am confused as to why I am missing him so much.
I can't wait for him to fly in tomorrow night
I haven't shaved my legs in 3 days
(can't believe I just admitted that!)
But tonight, those babies will be like silk
in anticipation for his arrival

:-)

It's a sad song..

2009-08-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

I was driving down the road, listening to this song, and had to pull over because there were too many tears in my eyes to see the road:

Sissy's Song Lyrics
By: Alan Jackson

"Loved ones she left behind
Just trying to survive
And understand the why
Feeling so lost inside
Anger shot straight at God
Then asking for His love
Empty with disbelief
Just hoping that maybe

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting
And I know she's smiling saying
Don't worry 'bout me.."

Although I am incredibly thankful for my step dad, even after all of these years of my father being gone, it hasn't gotten any easier. Losing a parent, child, or spouse is to me among the hardest losses. Someone that you see and talk to every single day that is suddenly taken away is hard to stomach. There have been many times that I had "anger shot straight at God" because my father wasn't here with me.

I remember the first time I took David to my father's gravesite, it was the day we got married. David said out loud, "Don't worry I will take care of her." And of course hearing him say that brought tears to my eyes. He has not wavered from that promise. David takes good care of me.

Today, I am thanking God for a wonderful husband, memories of an amazing father, a mother that held it all together & a stepdad that has done a really good job.

..and this is where life begins

2009-08-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have two interviews coming up! One is this Sunday for the vendor in Maryland that wants to talk to me about being their full time photographer for weddings (woohoo!). And the next one is on Monday with a local middle school here for the position of head cheerleading coach! Which, could be a good "in" for a teaching position.

I went home for a senior session on Tuesday and called Sarah (little sister) right before I got to the session and said, "Put on a cute dress and some boots and when I'm done here we'll spend a few minutes taking pictures behind the house." Literally we had 10 minutes of sunlight left. I am so proud of the young woman she's become!

.....have a great weekend!

Thankful & Paper

2009-07-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

David is so awesome. In this move I have done all of the packing, and I will do all of the unpacking in the new place. (Not to mention making this place spotless for our checkout!) And he, with his big muscles, is our mover. The only thing I am required to help him with is one of our couches that is too long for him to carry himself. I did my duty by labeling the biggest boxes "heavy" and i'm pretty sure he gets a little kick out of it.

Chapter 1 of our lives is almost complete. Our one year of marriage will be celebrated this Saturday. I had decided to make a scrapbook and include in it the highlights of this year as my "paper" gift to him- and David said, "Why don't I help you with that and we'll make it together." So that is the plan. It will not be finished by Saturday, but we're off to a good start. I plan on making a Q&A page for us with questions like "What is your favorite thing about being married", "What was the best memory of this year" ..etc. I will take pictures of the final product when it's completed. I will tell you I am having the HARDEST time with the "real" scrapbooking. Digital scrapbooks are SO MUCH EASIER because I can click a button to delete something if I don't like it. I have created and thrown out 4 first pages that will only say "The Garrisons" and have our picture.

I say, "The Plan" and God laughs..

2009-07-24T17:40:00.002-07:00

Did you know that I switched majors in college from business to teaching? And then I switched back to business? In 3 (holy cow!) weeks I will have a Bachelor's in Business Management. My plan is to pursue teaching. In some counties, such as the one I live in, there are alternative ways to getting hired as a teacher without a teaching degree..and most of the time, the school will pay for some/all of the tuition to get licensed.

As we are nearing August, and it is very unlikely that I will get a position for the fall, because I will not officially have my college degree until August 15- teachers are supposed to go back on the 31st and students on September 8th. However, for the upcoming year I plan to sub and hopefully get a job next school year. (I do of course have my fingers crossed that SOMETHING permanent will open up! And praying. Hard.)

FYI I am still going to pursue photography part-time.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Made me laugh..

2009-07-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

They were happy that she was getting married before the baby was born, but in hindsight, buying the dress months beforehand may not have been a good idea.

Top 10 ugliest dresses

One year: Paper

2009-07-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Our first anniversary (August 1) is quickly approaching.. which means that I have 10 days to figure out what I'm doing for us! Traditionally, the first year is to be celebrated with "paper"--did you all follow this? If so, what did you do? I'd like to do something more than a letter to follow that tradition.. I would love to buy tickets to somewhere nice..that would be much easier if I had a job..so that may just be a nice thought. I am signing two contracts on weddings this week and one next month- so that is nice.

Trusting God to provide and open doors is a lot easier than stressing! I. am. so. blessed.

It's ME!

2009-07-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Has it really been that long since I last posted? Eek. I assure you that it isn't that I do not have anything to say..I've got a million things running through my head!

I have four weeks left of this class i'm taking [corporate finance-yuck!] and it literally has sucked the life out of me. There is no way that I could keep up if I was not currently unemployed. Speaking of unemployed, once I finish this class I will have my Bachelor's in Business Management. Once I dust off & update my resume I will be sending it out..Photography is going GREAT! (Last week I had one wedding & 6 sessions!) I just want a job.

I'll be back to the regular posting soon.

All P'S

2009-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Problem: The ONE problem with having a DSLR is that I do not feel like putting it together to take one picture. I think I will purchase a fits-in-your-pocket type of camera soon so that I can take quick pictures when I want. Not to mention since I started my business David & I haven't taken any pictures together.. YOU try turning that big camera around for a self portrait! (ok ok it isn't that hard, but it just seems like a hassle)

David has been gone for training since last week (he comes home tonight, yay! Trying to stay awake to see him home) and as I was in my hometown the day before he left shooting a senior session (I need to blog about it!) he cut up little pieces of paper and wrote "I love you!" on them and placed them all around the house. (Credit for the image below. I told you I didn't feel like getting up to get my camera!)We won't even talk about how a majority of the notes were left in the kitchen! :-) hah What can I say, he knows where I go the most! There was also one in my laptop, in my makeup bag, and clothes drawers & shoe rack.

Ok fine, the ones in the kitchen were: On the fridge, on the sweet-tea container when you open the fridge, in the snack drawer, in the pull out drawer where my oven mitts are, in the coffee machiene, and in the silverware drawer... I think that's it?

Prayer Request: Please pray for this lovely lady as she is waiting on test results from a spinal tap.

Pizza: I may or may not have ordered a Large pizza, Cheese bread sticks & a 2 liter diet pepsi for dinner.....all for myself (hides face) In my defense, I had 2 of the cheese bread sticks & 1 slice of pizza for dinner! I really don't know why I ordered so much food.. I just did, but I know what i'll be eating the rest of the week! (and running extra to punish myself!!)

Photography: Thank you all for your support in the last post. I love my blogging friends. I'm not stopping. I'm using any negativity to fuel my fire!

There goes another..

2009-06-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

[this is my blog, my outlet, and I will speak my mind]

Nothing prepares you for the day you realize a close friendship is over, or that is has created some feelings that may not be resolved, no matter how much you would like to reconcile. In my life I have been hurt by two, now three, girls worse than I was ever hurt by a boyfriend. (keeping in mind that my first 'boyfriend' got a girl pregnant while we were together, and I had no idea he was being 'unfaithful') The friendships with these girls were all friendships that I held dearly to my heart and it still upsets me to think about. I would say that my eyes will not shed any more tears, but there are currently tears in my eyes.

I honestly 100% thought that there was a mutual encouraging relationship between me and her. We would talk throughout gmail pretty much all throughout the workday Monday-Friday. She would tell me something exciting about her more experienced business, and I would tell her something exciting about my new blooming business. I shared frustrations of the business world (maybe I should have kept a few comments to myself, but I was afterall in the presence of a friend) and always made sure to ask what she was up to and encourage her and her work. Somewhere in between there, it seems that things got taken out of context and I now look like I am a braggy person.

My desire was never to say, "Hey look at me! Look what i'm doing!" I do have a little more time to focus on creating a bigger clientele now, but I have no choice- I do not have a job! There is no steady income from my part of the marriage. If anything I wanted to know that I was on the right path and never in a million years would I think things would turn out like this.

I didn't "know" anyone except her in the business before jumping in with two feet, so of course I had questions that maybe I should have found someone else to ask, but I realize now that photography is so cut-throat, and I am contemplating finishing the weddings I have booked and hanging up my business hat. I just feel so defeated.

Blog list gone! [please respond]

2009-06-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

As I was putting in this awesome layout, I lost all of my stuff. If you were on, or would like to be on my blog list- leave a comment here. (I use my blog list instead of "followers" to read..I don't think I "followed" all that I read..)

On a different note, Happy Father's Day! (Below, my father [need to take a picture of his picture for this computer!] My Mom & "Dad" [stepdad], and below that, My FIL, MIL, and nephew. Please excuse the fact that my dad looks like Colonel Sanders.

Love <3

2009-06-19T11:27:00.001-07:00

I am so in love with this picture! I cannot put it on the photography website because her inlaws are traditional, and this isn't exactly a traditional maternity picture. But I am allowed to post it other places :-)

Have a great weekend!

Life after job.

2009-06-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last week as I was in the single digits of counting down (not happily counting down) my last days before the layoff, I was dreaming of how I would keep a spotless house, dinner would be ready when David got home instead of my usual head scratch not knowing what to fix, I would be spending some of the day at the gym, I could read books, I could bake, I could organize the house, I could lay out at the pool, I could advertise my butt off for photography..oh the dreams I had.

What I realized on Tuesday morning is this: With my job I already had way too much on my plate. [Full-time job, full-time school, part-time business, being a wife, Furmom, keeping a house, and not to mention watching my shows on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings!] I still have all of those things going on, minus the full time job.

I normally get up at 9 (Even when I worked, it's nice working from home- get up and turn the computer on) but i'm not thinking I want to try and be up at 7:30, 8 at the latest. I could get a lot done if i'm not wiping the sleepy out of my eye at 9AM every morning. (I know, some of you are thinking, "That isn't even the morning time!")

Having a schedule would work. I used to plan out my days to the hour- and worked very well on that schedule. The only problem was when something unexpected would happen and throw me off for the whole day, sometimes two.

Where are the hours in the day? It's already 10:30 and the motivation to get the day started hasn't come yet.

This weekend.. Ohh this weekend is going to kill me- I've got TWO (yes TWO!) weddings on Saturday. Remember a while back I said that I may work for a really awesome photographer that is right down the road? Well, I am. I had a 2 hour very small ceremony booked, and she has an all day a wedding right down the road, so I will start out at hers, go to mine, and go back to hers. Sunday I have an engagement shoot. At least I will come out of the weekend with a lot of good pictures. [had a fun maternity session last weekend-seen here.] There is one picture that I am dying to post from that- but I need to check with the mommy first. It's her & her husband on the traintracks, both shirts off and back is to me with them looking over their shoulders. (They've got some fun tattoos that they wanted to showcase, plus her belly)

I may or may not be photographing her birth. My good friend (who I think I mention on here every other week) Liz has photographed a few births and loveees it. (Thankful that we're 2 hours away so I don't feel like i'm stepping on toes if I get into birth photography here) I'm not so sure I wouldn't pass out. I don't have a problem with blood-but i've only seen a cow and cat give birth, I've never seen a human birth. (and I had my hands over my eyes for a few parts in both animal births.) Right now I am trying to think about clients, and there could be a decent market in Richmond for a birth photographer. As of now i've only found 1, but she hasn't posted new stuff in a while. There's a lot to think about there!

Wow, this was a long post.
About...nothing really.
If you've made it to the end: congrats!
Now you may see why my days go by so quickly
as a million things swirl in my head at once.

[Changes]

2009-06-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

There are some exciting and not so exciting but still equally fulfilling their description of "Change" happening around here!

Exciting: We're moving! More space an extra bedroom and a private patio = ♥ ...and The BEST part? They're raising our rent here so we are getting all of that for the SAME price we would pay to pay here.

Not so exciting: My job ends Monday! And there is no It is a little nerve wracking to know that I will not be walking up to my mail box and picking up a check every two weeks. I need that in my life. I could very well pursue photography full-time, but I decided to keep that as a side business for now. [what can I say, I like to actually have money and not have to worry if I want a pack of gum] Especially considering I don't have my dream studio. I will be pursuing Monday-Friday employment-- as soon as I dust off my resume.

It's that time again! [SWAPinfo]

2009-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't join in on Mammarazzi's last swap (I know, what was I thinking?) but I definitely am all in this time!

Will you join me?
(Click Below to enter!)

Copycat.

2009-06-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

Liz has a new outlook on her blogging. I am copying her idea and saying that things I am grateful for today are:
1. My new running shoes (Thanks David!)- I don’t want shin splints anymore! (Although I am STILL recovering from the previous ones)
2. The rain. The grass was starting looking yellow & crispy-
3. A friend that answers all of my photog questions (that’s YOU!)
4. My husband’s “I love you” texts that I know that he just pushes “resend” throughout the day, but it’s still sweet to get them while he’s gone.
5. My dog (although she’s harmless) to keep me company at night. If she weren’t here i’d be a little more scared at night.

I would love to copy ...love Maegan's big and fabulous curly hair that she's sporting today. And her stomach. Ah, she's so cute! (cute = super hot in the non lesbian way!)

I'll also take a little of Pulsipher Predilections and GlamLifeHouseWife's wit. (p.s. time to change your blog name Whitney!!)

...Ok I really could go on and on and on, but i'm hungry. Sadie is also hungry and is threatening to not be so protective if I don't feed her right this second.

Trouble in Paradise

2009-06-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

"...The mother-in-law frequently forgets she was once a daughter-in-law"

There really should be a part in our vows about accepting his family. My family is not perfect, but they have always accepted David with open arms. Upon entering his family I was told "Good Luck" by another member.

There's a story. There's always a story. However, it is so long that it would be impossible to describe on here. David & I screwed up by not including them when we originally got married on August 1. It was supposed to be under wraps so that everyone wins. My family is very conservative, southern baptist, and his... well his just didn't care that we were going to live together. We decided to let my parents in on it, but not his. Not out of spite, or anything, but purely for what we thought was a "win-win" situation. When we decided we weren't going to have a "wedding" on May 16, we decided we didn't want a wedding day. We didn't want a wedding day that didn't have everyone included. This was not good enough for his mother, as you know she must know everything. It has even gone as far as me getting some nasty threat-type e-mails from someone his family. (Yeah, really!) Well, curiosity killed the cat, and she found out the day that the church threw us the reception on May 16 (which was so nice of them, and that was supposed to be our "wedding day"). David went over there the next day after we got back and they talked it through. He told them how my & my parents beliefs did not line up with theirs and how we truly thought this was the best situation for everyone. Everything seemed settled. Of course they were going to be upset, after all, they did kind of miss their son's "wedding day" and it was our fault.

Well that was 3 weeks ago and his mother has not spoken to me. She has ignored every single phone call and message I left. I broke down crying the other day because I want her to forgive and move on, but she is the type to hold a grudge for years, and years. (like, double digits.)

At this point, she wants nothing to do with our lives. She doesn't want to get to know me as her daughter-in-law. I am not sure when she will eventually call, but when she does I am praying that I will have a good attitude. So much of me wants to write her out of my life because of how things are going now.

The worst part? They live a mile away from us. It isn't like we're a ways away and she happened to be busy.

When I was growing up I was terrrrrible. All of those times that my mother should have thrown her hands up and left me, she didn't. She always was quick to forgive and I guess not everyone can be like that, and that hurts. It hurts to have someone so close (in distance and family-wise) that wants absolutely nothing to do with you.

My grandmother said her MIL never once accepted her. They went through YEARS like what I am describing where she would have nothing to do with her. I really hope that is not the case for us. I make a vow right now to never, ever turn my back on my kids or their spouses.

The upside of all of this, is that deciding where to go for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, July 4th, and all the others have just gotten a lot easier!

Help Needed

2009-05-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

My baby sister is turning 15!

Not such a "baby" right? I remember one year of college she came to visit and people treated me like I was visiting her. Ridiculous!

On to my "help needed" ad. I want to throw Sarah a party..but what kind? I want it to be fabulous, but certainly not breaking the bank! Here's where you come in--I need ideas!! Get your creative juices flowing for a minute. Here's the hard part- They live in the middle of no where. There are NO stoplights in the county and the nearest movie theater is an hour away.

There will be boys & girls attending this shin-dig..but they're all good kids.

Ideas? Please?

Next Time..

2009-05-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

When people ask me how tall I am I say, "not very." It usually makes people laugh. That being said, it shouldn't be said when the gyno is performing his exam. Next time-- just answer 5"0.
I've reached my fat limit. As a 5"0 girl, extra weight is not flattering. I know that 110 pounds would be ideal for most people, but not for me--it carries right on my stomach. 10 pounds needs to come off! I am not a "sweets" eater-I would probably pick chips over chocolate any day. I crave salty/fried goodness. Except it isn't "good" for me. Although I normally run a few times a week, I had to take a few weeks off due to shin splints. The last time I did the Shred I got way too over heated and got sick. I haven't done it since (about 2 weeks. BAD. Megan!) - next time-- don't eat tortilla chips & sour cream for dipping right before.((I am not looking for a "you shouldn't complain about being 110 pounds" or "you're so skinny!" type of comment. I know what weight looks good on me and what doesn't. The end.))
I shot two newborn sessions for Memorial Day and they can be previewed here. I drove 2 hours to my parents house for the first, then drove another hour to the second shoot and two hours back home. next time-- I won't shoot two newborns in two different locations in one day.

What a GREAT DEAL!

2009-05-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Discount Mags is having some ahhhhhmazing deals on magazines for this weekend.
Available magazines (prices are for 1-year subscription, multiple years can be purchased at once):

ESPN Magazine (26 issues) $3.50 with coupon 1629
Fitness (11 issues) $3.50 with coupon 2481
OK! Magazine (52 issues) $6 with coupon 8172
Runner's World (12 issues) $6 with coupon 6212

(type in the "coupon" in the checkout area)

I bought a year's subscription of Runner's World & Fitness magazine for under $10. So. Fun.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Wendy's has a BOGO frosty coupon that is valid on Coffee Toffee or Frosty Cino through June 7, 2009

Toes in the sand..

2009-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

We're going to the beach in July and I cannot wait! I haven't been to the beach in the summer in about 5 years, because I was always working and taking classes in the summer of college.. why do I feel like we're sneaking around by going? We're adults, and let's not forget married, but I still feel like I am sneaking off with my boyfriend. (I did go to the beach with dear friends liz & tommy, but it was never in the summer so we couldn't lay out)

I had hoped that we would celebrate our first anniversary in August by going on our overdue honeymoon, but with David continually taking classes for his masters it wouldn't work right now (thank you U.S. Govt for paying for his masters..and thank you instructional design master program that requires an adobe suite which his work is ALSO paying for..meaning Mama's getting the latest photoshop & indesign along with others!) I currently use Photoshop Elements, so I am excited to learn the full program. And by "learn the full program" I mean being completely lost but hoping for the best!

Do's & Please don't ever do that again.

2009-05-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Do.. go to the gym
Don't.. go to the gym if you have gas. When I walked in & got smacked in the face with a smell that not even your mother would love, it was really hard for me to exercise. How I didn't just walk out is a mystery- honestly, I didn't want to hurt your feelings. At the time you "let it out" you were the only one in there, but then I came, and I knew you were slightly embarrassed by the look on your face when I walked in so I just hopped on the treadmill hoping the stench would pass quickly. I honestly thought I was going to pass out due to the lack of oxygen because I was trying not to breathe. I thought the smell would go away, but no, it wasn't a one time thing with you- You kept passing gas! (I never say the F word-it's just gross).

It's Love <3 <3

2009-05-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

My sister came down this past Wednesday and left yesterday. A lot of time was spend finding the "perfect poses" for our portraits. She does not have her own photography business, but after seeing the reactions of these portraits I think it will push her into it! :-) I have so many "favorites" and besides the one you saw in the last post here are some others:

once a photographer, always a photographer

Our wedding portraits

2009-05-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

My sister, who will be joining me as an assistant shooter for weddings when contracted, took our wedding portraits today. It was perfect, minus the bruised lung I have (that's a post for another day) I am going to blog about this later but wanted to share a lovely picture from today..

Random List of Things..

2009-05-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Driving from my BIL's house yesterday to celebrate Mother's Day with my MIL, we stopped where this man was selling watermelon on the side of the road. I love this area, you just can't do that in DC. Boy is it good. We filled up every single Glad tupperwear container in sight and i'm just hoping we can eat all of it before it goes bad. Needless to say, I don't think i'll be buying any other fruit this week!
The weather on Saturday was great, although it was a little windy! I blogged about it. I'm so thankful it didn't rain. I had heard of people praying to hold off the rain even though I think there are greater things to go to the Lord for...but as I was making the hour & half drive I spent a lot of time in prayer.. prayer for the ceremony, the weather (yes, I did pray for no rain!), for their marriage, for my marriage..it was nice to spend that time in prayer. I also had to sing my heart out because although I LOVE driving it sometimes gets a little lonely.
Sometimes when I sing (especially trying to keep up with Carrie Underwood) I accidentally gag myself. Not.Pretty
Two new classes start today, an upper level business & a psycology..both subjects I love. I'm hoping for 2-A's!
My church and it's ladies are throwing David & I a "reception" this Saturday--did I mention that? I will be sure to take pictures & share sometime next week! I have been a member of this church since I was 2, and even now haven't switched memberships.
David & I have a habit of taking the other persons ring if we notice them on the counter. He always comes in and takes mine while i'm in the shower or putting on make-up and I ALWAYS know where they are so he doesn't get too far without hearing, "give me back my rings!!" This morning David calls me and says that he looked all around for his ring this morning, checked the cars and everything and couldn't find it. I tucked it into my pocket last night and forgot all about it..Poor guy almost late for work looking for the symbol of our commitment! hehehe...

Now it's YOUR turn to tell me something random!

Relief.

2009-05-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

My facebook status this afternoon was:
[megan] Has to finish a paper (4 pages left), take a final & submit 3 discussion boards before midnight... -nervous laugh-

If I decided to update my status it would now say:
COMPLETED!

In 4 hours I took a 2 hour test (seriously, after the first hour my brain is fried-why do you do this teachers?), wrote 4 pages to make 12, and completed 3 (LONG!) discussion boards. whew, what a sigh of relief! I have a few classes this summer and I will be done with my undergrand. I could have walked in graduation [which is tomorrow] but I didn't feel like it. Last year Chuck Norris was our speaker, this year, it's Ben Stein. Liberty should have canceled all graduation speakers after Chuck Norris-- I mean how can you compete with that?!? Unless I were to speak of course :-)

The President [of my company] called two days ago and has enough money for me to have 2 more paychecks! He said within 10 days he'll know if I can stay longer! That is such great news because I am going to put those extra checks into savings for a rainy day. It will postpone my "full-time" photographer status for a little bit, but that is okay! I have a lot of weddings this summer to keep me busy.

Kicking off the wedding season is a wedding tomorrow at a lovely vineyard [oh so yummy], please send good vibes to keep the rain away--it's supposed to be 90 degrees and have bad storms.

Random Updates

2009-05-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Now that I officially have a photography blog, I will not have to bore you with my photoshoots on here! I need to switch it over from being .squarespace to just my own, but I haven't done that yet. I found the website last night and had it up & running today, it was THAT user friendly. I'm looking forward to perfecting it, but for now it makes me smile.
I may get the chance to work for an AMAZING photographer in the Richmond area. {Wondering why I would work for someone if I already have my own business?} It will be such an experience and I would be able to learn so much {so much that I NEED to learn}. Plus it seems that i'll have a lot of free time on my hands so doing a little extra sidework will be nice.
Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping at night..last night I stayed up until 4AM..it's already 1AM and i'm not even sleepy--I think it may be another late night.
David & I have been making fun of each other all day {in a loving way}, and it feels like a middle school romance <3>

I'm the lucky one...

2009-05-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

...due to the lovely anonymous commenter (coward, what?) on my last post-
I wanted to write a post on reasons why my life is so fabulous:

God. He is so amazing and I can definitely see where his hand has guided me in my life.
David. When I was younger & I would come up with "lists" of what I wanted my husband to be, David met every single one of those characteristics. The "boyfriend" I had before David was the complete opposite in every single one of the areas that I wrote on my list but I hung on because I felt like that was the direction my life was supposed to go (after all, I met him in college, Liberty is close to my hometown, etc.) I am so glad that I finally got fed up and picked up and moved to DC, knowing that he would realize what I meant to him. Well, finally, he did, and he even came up to DC proclaiming through tears over dinner that he knew I was the one and he wanted to take me "home" that day. I already had my eyes on David, and felt relieved when I sent ex home and called David to come pick me up so we could hang out. David is my best friend, soul mate, lover, father to our future children, secret keeper, confidant, supporter, biggest fan, and so much more.
Family. My mom is truly my best friend. It was not until I was 15 and in and out of the hospital that I realized just how important she was and how sorry I felt for treating her so badly for so many years. Some of you that have read my blog for a while know of my plans to stuff her when she dies. We'll just leave it at that. I have also been blessed with a wonderful set of in-laws and the best sisters & brother anyone could ask for.
Job. I know, I know. You all are thinking "What Job? You're about to lose it!" I am not afraid when I think about how I have about two weeks at my job. Photography is going so well, and I cannot wait until I can venture out during the day and let people know who I am. There will be a slight change from the pay check I am used to receiving, but it will not be that bad. I am thankful that if worse comes to worse, David's salary can support us. Plus he says if I get a job at Subway then we won't have to worry about making dinner. Such a funny guy he is, I want to throw a shoe at him when he says that.

Speaking of photography, I am now offering custom announcements.. This is just the design I don't have the hard copy yet (I changed the name).

"My loss your gain"

2009-05-03T08:11:00.001-07:00

While browsing my local craigslist
I came across some very interesting pieces
and thought I would share.
No need to thank me,
it's my gift to you.

"Stylish airport chairs in great condition, hardly used. Great for studio or loft seating"
..they honestly look like they have never been used! For $150 they can be yours!
While I do see potential for an artsy studio or loft apartment, $150!?!?!

The issue with this is not the $50 price tag, although I would even dispute that, the problem arises when I can't even clearly see the desk. By looking in the mirror the picture is obviously from a phone, and I don't have a problem with that! Lady, here is a tip I learned and will graciously share with you.. clean up the area around whatever object you are selling. [how do people live in that much clutter?]

Oh John Wayne. If only I had the $250 your owner wants I would snatch you up quicker than grits! What is it about you that won't get out of my head?

I would buy this $20 mirror and throw in a cheeseburger so that lady can eat! Perhaps some pants too because those are some awfully weird places for tattoos.

[P.S. This post is obviously a light-hearted post. Do not take it seriously. Do not track the subjects down and feed or clean for them! (i'm even joking with this sentence!) To the anonymous commenter who obviously loves my blog enough to come back- thank you. I decided to write another post tomorrow describing just how fabulous my life is! Thanks for the great idea]

Diagnosis.

2009-04-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who lifted up a prayer this last night or morning. While sitting in the waiting room after David went back, I was nervous- couldn't concentrate on the book I had brought to pass the time, couldn't even pay attention to Regis & Kelly on the television. I wanted answers. I needed to see "my baby" again.

After the procedure David's doctor called me back and explained what he found. I was praying it wouldn't be colon cancer- I wouldn't have been prepared to hear that my 25 seemingly in amazing health by his great shape year old husband has cancer. The doctor informed me that David has Ulcerative Colitis. Although this isn't great news, I am thankful that it wasn't cancer. By that time I still hadn't seen David since he went back. (why do doctor's offices do that? all I wanted to do was sit by him and hold his hand--I know he's an adult and didn't "need" me but still- can you imagine how it will be when we have children?!)

Speaking of children, there is a possibility that it will be passed on, but we have many things to get through before we worry about that. From 25% to almost 50% of ulcerative colitis patients have to have surgery their colon removed, but I can also be thankful that we are not at that point right now.

We (meaning as in he) has some medicine to try- I went to fill the prescription and it is $100 for a one month supply! Of ONE medication! That is WITH insurance--Government insurance at that(aka really good). I couldn't imagine facing the almost $400 monthly prescription without insurance.

Prayer Request

2009-04-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

[how can anything ever be wrong with this sexy hunk?!?]

Please pray for David.. He has been having a lot of problems & will be having a procedure tomorrow that will hopefully help us get some answers.

Book Recommendation

2009-04-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

Plain Perfect
By: Beth Wiseman

At just a few pages shy of 300, I started and finished this book this evening as it was that good. Despite the fact that I am smitten by the Amish ways, I adore a book that I can truly picture myself in. It was so good that I didn't skip to the end to find out how it ended, I just wanted to read in the moment..which, never happens! I laughed and cried-it was just that good. ..without giving too much away, as I was reading her heart turn more towards God it created a new spark within me.

It made me want to get rid of all my "earthly" possessions and move to the small Amish community near my home.. but then I realized how much I truly enjoy those earthly things (AC, Car, AC, AC, Electricity, AC, wedding rings, jeans, heels, AC..the list is truly endless)Plus- my hair in this VA humidity? Whew, let's not even go there.