It's a Boy!

Today is my due date, but the little man has been with us for almost 2 weeks now... It's so wonderful to have that "I can't imagine what our lives would be without him(her)" feeling. Even though it's only been a short time since his arrival, it feels like he's been a part of our family forever already.

And, while I had envisioned all sorts of photo shoots with him to capture his growth & experiment with different poses/techniques, etc., honestly I've just been too tired. Or, have just been enjoying cuddling with him. This weekend, I would like to try to get some shots with he & I, as well as he & his dad and sister, since they are not here during the day. We shall see, though. I have been able to get a few micro-mini sessions in with him, so here are a few of my favorites so far...plus a few snapshots from the hospital.

The classic...

Not the best pose, necessarily, but I think he looks so sweet & peaceful.

I think he looks like a totally different baby in each of those 3 poses...

Proud big sister, who has been loving on him since his arrival. : )

A sweet little shot taken by my mom right after he was born.

And, our first Family of Four photo...

Wow.

If you feel like experiencing some emotional tears (for the good!), head on over to this photography blog. Now, maybe it's because I'm about to head into this situation myself (well, drug-assisted hopefully), but it was so moving to see such emotion, love, beauty, elation, etc, etc, play out in the slideshow. It is just simply breathtaking photography, and being able to capture such an intense situation, but make it so tender...Wow. Wow. Wow. Bobbi + Mike are a photographer couple out of Indy. Ok, gotta get a tissue now...go watch it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Last Maternity Post...

I had not had the time to take some bare-belly maternity shots, yet, and time is running out...So, tonight, I got out my Gorillapod, rounded up Lil' Miss & found some nice lighting in the house. Here are a couple of timer shots we got. Not the most artistic photos, but some documenting self-portraits, nonetheless.




If anyone would like to contribute some baby names to the cause, they would be most appreciated. Boy and Girl names needed! Thanks!

Happy #3!

We just celebrated our daughter's 3rd birthday...it's so amazing how time flies (when you're having fun, right?!). She is full of personality, which just keeps growing each day. We are blessed to have her in our lives & can't wait to see her be a Big Sister in just a short while...Here are some pictures we took at the zoo recently. She wouldn't give up too many smiles for me, but I caught a couple.

Also, a couple of shots of her birthday cake...all she requested was "Pink" for her party, so we did "pink." The cake was inspired by this rainbow cake. I wish I would've used more icing in between the layers like they did, but did not want any of our parents/grandparents to go into sugar shock! This was my first made-from-scratch cake & it took for.ever! I cannot imagine cooking this way all of the time. Kudos to the generations before us!

Um, yes, and it really tasted delicious - I know you're jealous! : )

Mr. I (3 yrs) & Miss L (3 mos)

For those of you that know me, I refer to a lot of people how I know them...for example, "My Friend, Megan" is getting married today!!! So happy for her & Matt, and their families. Then, there are 2 girls that I refer to as "The Childbirth Class Girls", since that's how we met. These two beautiful, blue-eyed babes belong to one of them. Mr. I, Miss M & Aryn are all 2 weeks apart, so the 3 families that met in that class have been getting together for playdates (kids only & moms only) for the past 3 years. This couple is wonderfully laid-back & I was delighted to spend even more time with them at their home last weekend. I had a few minutes this morning, so I wanted to get a couple of sneak peeks posted for them.

Have a great 3rd Birthday Party, Mr. I!!

Such a happy baby girl. Can't believe how quickly 3 months have gone...

I loved his energy, but am content that Aryn is not always on the move like that. : ) He was so sweet - wanting me to sit by him when I'd ask him to do a pose during the sessions...guess he didn't realize someone had to take the pictures!

Hello!

Hello blog followers (if there are any of you out there!)! It's been awhile since I've had time to post, and really, I don't have anything super substantial to say. But, I thought I'd check in to say Hi! and let you know to keep checking back in every once in awhile...

Mainly, I've been super busy at work, nesting at home & figuring out what I can try to get Aryn to do by herself before the baby comes (Strapping herself into the carseat? check!, Showering by herself? check!, Getting dressed & brushing her own hair? 1/2 a check for each, but we still have time). She's also learned how to spell her first & last name. There is a slight advantage that 3 of the letters in her last name are the same, though. ha ha Next week, she'll be moving into the 3 year old room at daycare, which just floors me. Where have the past 3 years gone?!

Other news on the home front - Volleyball games start next week for "Coach Ryan" & he is studying for some wine exam thing through work. I'm going to be meeting with Sara, of Sprinkles of Light, for a photography mentoring session this month. So, I'm very excited about that! I'm not sure what the rest of the year holds for me, photography-wise. However, I'm already thinking about things I would like to implement in 2011...if you have any suggestions, I'm definitely open to ideas.

To close, here are a few pics from our trip to Toledo (courtesy of Ashley - mine are still on the camera) and the last swim lesson.

Those fireworks were just too loud.

A great big toss from Daddy!

Our proud little "Perch" & her swim teacher.

Turning 3 in about 30 days...crazy!

Mr. A & Miss R

Despite a busy 4th of July weekend visit, we made some time to grab some shots of Mr. A & Miss R at the Toledo Botanical Garden last weekend. This session made me realize I'm in the market for a new zoom lens, as I chose not to use my rusty, trusty 50mm for a couple of reasons...1. I was not sure how it would go with this 2 yr old & 2. At 6 mos pregnant, I'm not quite as quick and nimble as I was just a month or so ago (especially in the heat). And, 3. I still have some work to do in the toddler department...they are tricky! Mr. A was a great model, though...such a great kid & super big brother.

Thank you so much for hosting us, Blessinger Family...until next time!!

A sitting still moment...kind of!

What a good lookin' kid!

Toes - love 'em!
Lil' Sis & Big Bro'