Sunday, May 20, 2012

Roger & Holly Franklin's Reception 5/20/2012

I had the wonderful priviledge to second shoot a wedding reception. A little practice for me. I was kinda nervous but it was great. Shannon (my friend and mentor) invited me to help her shoot it. Also it was number thirty-six on my 101.









 The toasts...




I absolutely love this next photo of Holly's sister. Pure love and emotion!


 The only single guys were all kids under the age of 18. LOL




A photo of behind the camera. :) My friend and mentor, Shannon.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

James Michael

So James was born on April 5th 2012. Sorry it took so long to post but better late than never, right?!

So I will share my birth story:

Tuesday night, April 3rd, around 10:30pm I started to have some uncomfortable contractions about 10 minutes apart. I started timing them for a while. Around 1:30am on Wednesday I finally called the midwife on call, contractions were at 3-4 minutes apart and gaining some strength. She said to come on in and they will check everything out. We called mom and said we were gonna drop off Taylor. We told her to stay home until morning and we know more of whats going on. So they stayed home and slept. When we got there, they monitored James and then checked me out, I was at 3cm at 2:30am. So they had to clean the tub room before I could go in there. I was planning a water birth. So for the moment I was rotating on a birthball with a heating pad on my back, which was killing me. Kris was so calm and helped me in breathing through the contractions.
Finally around 5:45am, they had the room ready but they wanted to check me before we moved rooms. I was at 5cm, yayayay. Getting there. So we went to the other room and while waiting for the tub to fill I was having hard contractions. Finally the tub was filled and I got in and it was ohhh soooo soothing, but Kris and I were soooo tired. Around 7am Kris' mom called to check on us and tell us they were dropping Taylor off at our friends house and they would be on their way. When they arrived Kris went to rest for a bit, while mom took over coaching. Then the midwife came in and checked me again I was only 5 1/2cms two hours later. Then the contractions started tapering off. So I got out of the tub to see if I could get them back. It worked for a bit. Then they started to get about 10 minutes apart and then around 5pm they all but stopped. I really wanted the midwife to break my water but she refused. I asked my nurse to call a different midwife, the one I had seen since week 6, Barb, she is just soooo awesome. The great thing was she was right across the parking lot so she came over to talk to me. She could see that Kris and I were exhausted and she suggested we go home get some rest. With her being the one to tell us it would be better to go home, I was so much more comfortable. She also gave me some advice on natural induction. Well then after talking with her for about 30 minutes, we all left. Mom took Taylor for the night. Kris and I got some dinner and slept for almost 12 hours.
Around 2pm on Thursday, mom brought Taylor home. While she was there I told everyone, "I wasn't going to go in til I felt the need to push." Kris and mom agreed and mom said that I would know when it was time. Then about 4pm I asked Kris if he minded if I took a nap. He said "no problem". So I went to sleep. Then at 5:50pm, I was awakened from my nap by what felt like an explosion on the top of my stomach and it hurt soooo badly, I woke up screaming. Then I ran to the bathroom, still screaming. Kris called his mom to ask what could possibly be going on and she told us to call the midwife. He called her and left a message and she called us back and when she called back, I was in sooo much pain with every contraction (which I didn't think were contractions cuz my stomach was not hardening and it was only in my groin area of my hips). Kris described my demeaner as the exorcist. She said to definitely come on in. I stood up and realized that my water had in fact broke.
We called mom and told her we were dropping off Taylor and heading to the hospital. They said ok. When we got to their house, dad came over and asked how I was doing and at the time I refused to talk and he saw my face and said he understands. Then off to the birth center we go. We got there at 7pm and I was not able to do much. I got out and only made it to the car next to ours. I was soooo super shaky. Then mom and dad showed up while I was still in the parking lot. Dad went and got a wheelchair for me. They told me they needed to monitor James for 20 minutes before I got in the tub. Every contraction he would move away from the monitor. UGH. They also couldn't get my BP because everytime they would push the button I would have a contraction and they would have to stop it. At first, Lois (the nurse) was coaching my breathing while Kris, mom and dad got everything situated and together. Then Kris came over to rub my arms and encourage me to calm down. Mom was my breathing coach. I felt like I couldn't go through with it without an epidural but of course I had my wonderful coaches helping encourage me. Then all of a sudden I had the need to push and I couldn't fight. Mom said "you can't push yet, you still have your cloths on". The Caitlyn (my midwife) said "at the end of the next contraction, I'll pull your pants off", it ended, she pulled and looked down and said "you need to push". Four pushes later at 7:31pm on April 5th 2012, James Michael was born at 7lbs 12oz, 19inches long.
I was sooo happy I was able to do it naturally this time around. It didn't go as planned but it was great. I was in labor for an hour and a half. So much better than 8 days. And true enough, the pain from SPD did go away almost instantly. I was so happy to not be in pain anymore.

Now on to some pics:
This is me at 39weeks4days, exactly one week before I gave birth.

First pic by mommy, about 4 hours old 

Proud Daddy 

Hi Mommy 

 Milk Coma

Proud big sister

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

365 Project

So to help me get through my bedrest, I have decided to do a 365 Photo Project. I love this idea, I've been wanting to do one but just haven't started. The fun thing about it is that for the first part of it I have to be extremely creative because I can't leave my couch. I will be on bedrest until I give birth.

365 Photo Project is my new page so you can go and check it out. Here's a couple of photos from that blog.



Thursday, March 1, 2012

30 days...

So as of now I'm on strict reclining bedrest. No walking, cleaning, standing, cooking, nothing. The only things I'm allowed to do is get up to pee, go to bed and take a bath, until I give birth to my little boy. I only have 30 more days. I am gonna make the best of it. I do believe (other than the obvious) that I am on bedrest, so that God can continue to teach me patience and to learn to rely on other people. I have a habit of relying on myself. I don't like to ask for help or anything like that. So Kris has given me some scriptures to read while I sit here on my couch for the next month.
Right now I do have a great support system with this whole situation. I hope that now, despite being on bedrest, this pregnancy continues to go quickly. So far, though it has thrown tons of curve balls at me, this pregnancy has gone so fast. I swear I just entered my third trimester and really I only have 4 weeks to go. Wow. I do think it helps that I have a toddler to chase after. Oh no, now I can't go and chase or play in her room with her.  I just made myself sad. It's all for the greater good. When finally he gets here I will be overly joyed with love. I pray that Taylor loves him as much as Kris and I do. It will be such a wonderful thing. I also pray that he is as easy as Taylor was as a baby. I do play to breastfeed again, and if I have the same over abundance of milk I will be sharing with Cassie, as she does not produce milk very well. I also will be trying my darndest to cloth diaper this little boy. I have almost everything I need. There a few that are very much needed I will soon be buying. I can't wait to be completely finished, so all I have to do is wait for him. Ooo I can't wait.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Lately...

So I know I've said it plenty of times, I need to do more photography and blogging. Lately it's been going crazy and been in a funk. I am at 32 weeks along in my pregnancy. It is starting to be very uncomfortable no matter what I do, but the end result will be TOTALLY worth it. I love this little man but he is driving me bonkers. I cannot wait, it has gone by sooooo so fast. I can't believe that I only have eight weeks to go. Oh well. Baby shower will be on my birthday this year!!!! So excited, I will post pics.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Third Trimester...

Alrighty, time I have to say is flying by!!!! I am now, as of this past Saturday, in my third and final trimester. I can't believe it has gone by so fast. Though these past couple of weeks have been a rather horrible roller coaster ride of emotions that I can't seem to control. My mom and husband are trying to help as much as they can. They keep telling me to talk it out and I should be alright. I love them so much. I am down to 11 1/2 weeks to go on my pregnancy.

Facts from my Babycenter app on my phone: This week the baby weighs about 2 1/2lbs and is about 14.8in long, head to feet.
Oh there are some things you read that describe how Braxton Hicks contractions are "supposed to feel", well I've been having them on a regular basis it seems and they are not anything that is discribed on the sites and in the books. Mine are rather painful, like actual labor contractions. I really wish I would stop having them but they come with the territory I guess.

This next week my sister in law is having a baby shower to celebrate her son, Ryan Jr. She is due on March 8th. We are so excited for her as well. Her theme is dinosaurs and the stuff she has gotten is just plain adorable. My mother in law is doing the shower for her and then mine.

My birthday is coming this next month and I can't wait. I will be 28 and thats when my mother in law is having my baby shower. I get two good things on that day. My theme for James is Noah's Ark. I just love it so much. I have found some of the cutest stuff for him. I have almost everything I need for him as well, I barely had enough stuff to actually make a registry but I managed. My register for those of you who are friends or family is on Amazon.com.

Well I was gonna upload a couple of pictures but my computer is being wonky, so I will come and edit this post later.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

2011 In Review...

So this last year has been so up and down. So many highs, too many lows, but God is good and gives us hard times so that we grow. I am so thankful for this year to have past us. I've really grown. The beginning of the year started the same as every year. Resolutions no one ever keeps, tax preperation, yearly plans, etc. My birthday came around and Kris got me my camera that I love sooo very much. I learned to use it in less than a week. I took photos of EVERYTHING. I hit a rut and am trying to get back into it again. I am trying really hard to get the need to photograph back.













April I went and saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I went with my wonderful friends Shannon and Katie. Love them so much. It was a great day we went all over the place. I had so much fun. It was great burrowing Shannon's lens on my camera. So I know that I eventually want to buy one of my own and be able to get some excellent shots. I really want to go to the zoo again with the bigger lens so that I can get better photos while there. I love the ocean and want to go back with my family.





Then I got some great news in July, after 10 months of trying I finally got a positive pregnancy test. I was sooo super happy. I was convinced that I was gonna have another little girl. I went for a ultrasound in November and discovered "BOY". I was soooo happy. Though this pregnancy has been super tough physically, emotionally and mentally.



Then a rough patch kinda took hold of our family. I thank God for our friends and family who helped us through all of that. Our entire family also had a hardship but God again has helped us through.
Thanksgiving and Christmas were wonderful this year. Ryan and Cassie were able to move back home so that all of our family was together again. Cassie and I got to help with Thanksgiving dinner this year which was fun. Then Kris and I were able to have a Christmas like no other and help others in need. I was so happy that I was able to help.