Woo hoo! We're in 4th place!!

WOW! We're so excited! We are currently in 4th place out of a LONG list of photographers in WESH 2's contest for best photographer in Central Florida. Thank you to all that voted, and to those that have supported us and helped us on our journey!! If you haven't yet voted, please click HERE!

Another share... kids are so cute!

Shay is learning to write words, I've been trying to let her just do whatever, and spell it how she thinks it's spelled, then work on the spelling later. If she's writing I'm happy, and she seems to like it more when there is less pressure of "doing it right"...lol. So yesterday she brings me this picture and I thought it was the funniest cutest thing. Had to share... yup I'm a Frtogfr...HA!

Just another thing to go GREEN!

This is a random post, but thought it was definitely worthwhile to share. We are doing our best to go "green" at home and also with our business, so this is yet another step in that process. We've always been into doing things naturally and doing whatever we can to help the planet, so this is so exciting for me!

My recent birth clients Nandi and Jason showed me the diapers they are using for their son Bodhi. They are called G Diapers. I came home and checked them out and researched a bit and realized just how cool they are. They are what they call hybrid diapers, half cloth, half disposable. The outer cover is cloth, then there is a inner liner which holds a disposable pad. The pad itself is made out of cellulose, which is what helps trees hold their water and is totally biodegradable and breaks down in 50-100 days in a landfill or compost vs the 500 years it takes a normal disposable to break down. You can also flush the peed on pads, you tear them up and put them in the toilet and they just break up. They are seriously cool... and I'm not usually one to post about diapers...lol.

I bought baby C a starter set, extra cover and case of pads. We got them today and they are the coolest things. Since it's part disposable you only have to wash the covers occasionally when they get wet or soiled. They are so darn cute too, so that is a bonus. She can put on a t shirt with the diaper and look cute as pie! They aren't super expensive once you buy the covers. The inserts are just a little more than disposables, and the benefits are far greater! The little things like this really do make a huge difference in the world, I'm so glad we won't be throwing away diapers anymore!

If you have been looking for a eco friendly diapering solution these are it! Check out their site for more info! I'm officially SOLD on the idea! And I think Camdyn digs them too...lol. The covers are so cute too I may just get a few in different sizes for the studio to put over clients disposables! Here's some photos of the little monkey to show the fit and style. Yes she is already sitting up and just turned six months a few days ago! How time flies...wah!

A Jenny and Brian Update!!!

We got sit down and have dinner with Jenny and Brian at Johanna & Ozzie's wedding. We did their wedding just over a year ago. It was really nice to see them and catch up! They are building a house in Lakeland! That is super exciting for them and it's coming along, they hope to move in by fall! They are both doing great and enjoying married life. Had to share these two shots of them. They are so darn cute... love them!! A huge thank you to them for sending Johanna and Ozzie our way!!

Woo hoo! We made the A List on Channel 2 again!!!

We made the A list for photographers on WESH Channel 2 again this year. This is quite an honor and we are so excited! To go vote and leave your comments, please click HERE! We'd love to win, but we are definitely thrilled just to be on the list.

:)

Hugs and Prayers for Alana, Don and baby Vance!

Wow... I got an email from Alana last night that baby Vance had been born early. 4 days after we did their maternity session and at 34 weeks pregnant they were driving on a road trip and she started bleeding. They went to the nearest hospital in St Pete and she was told she was having an abruption (placenta tearing away from uterine wall) and that Vance would need to be delivered immediately! They put her to sleep and then delivered baby Vance at 4 pounds 11 ounces. I can't even begin to imagine how scary this must have been for them! Vance is doing great though and they are working on getting him to eat and gain weight so that he can come home! Hopefully I'll do his newborn session towards the end of the month. Needless to say my jaw dropped when I read that email, so our thoughts and prayers are with them! So glad everyone is okay... and to think that I questioned that we may have done her maternity session too early...ack! Now I'm glad we had the session when we did!

:)

Baby Bodhi... beautiful baby boy!!!

Here's some images from Bodhi's newborn session. He's so cute and makes the cutest little faces... thank you again to Nandi and Jason for inviting me into their lives... they are such amazing people!

Sarah and Michael... Congrats Guys!!!

Here's some photos from Sarah and Michael's wedding from last weekend. The ceremony was held at Winter Park Presbyterian Church, and the reception was at the beautiful Winter Park Racquet Club. Sarah looked radiant in her gown from The Collection, and Michael was beaming as he watched her walk down the aisle. These guys definitely like to giggle and laugh, and it's contagious. They definitely enjoy each others company and are a great couple. Here's some favorites from their big day!

A shot at the church!

Sarah... breathtakingly beautiful!

Flowers and rings... my two favorite things!

The way they look at each other just brings a smile to my face!

The sunset coming through the window was just kissing them with this golden light, we had to catch it!!!

Beautiful sunset for a beautiful couple!

This shot cracked me up... them totally sucked into each other, and it appears their parents are scheming something in the background.

This was caught by John and I just love it... totally different from our norm. The sun was beaming in on Michael's ring which now adorns his ring finger. Great shot John!

Couple more Kelli shares...

John and I drove out to New Smyrna on Friday for the weekend, and stopped into Nandi and Jason's on the way to do Bodhi's newborn session. They wanted some beach shots, so we ended up going there at the end of the session. Kelli was in the area so she met up with us for some beach shots with the babies. I missed getting one with her of baby C thus far, so I was thrilled to get these! I asked if she thought she could manhandle two babies at once... little Bodhi is so small in comparison to our munchkin. And I have to sit back again in awe of Kelli and the care she provides for women. I mean what OB would EVER come out to do this (much less the BEACH) with their clients?? She has become more than a midwife to us, she's become a friend, and is like family. Had to share these... loved this moment and that we were able to get such special shots for her in such an amazing place!

Whew... what a weekend!!

We decided to take the weekend OFF... something we rarely do. It was Father's Day weekend, so what a good reason to head out to the beach with our neighbors Rick and Nicole and their 3 girls. Rick's family has a place right on the water in New Smyrna and it was amazing! We got some much needed time away from the computer, away from the hubub of business and normal life, and enjoyed some quality time with our girls. I didn't get time away from the camera however, as it seemed there were photo taking opportunities everywhere! Here's some from our weekend, had some fun playing with each of the girls for photos... and low and behold they didn't even seem to mind!! We're back, back to work, and picking up where we left off. A huge thank you to Rick and Nicole for inviting us to come with for the weekend, we had a great time and really needed the time away! Hope you enjoyed your Father's Day too!!

Some night shots...

This is actually the sun... it was so bright I had to severely underexpose,
so it looks like the moon! Still a cool shot I thought...

I saw this and just had to shoot it...

The 4 oldest girls... after a long day of swimming and sand!

Since I threw everyone else under the bus with photos it was only fair I
share one of me too... with baby C.

Miss S, gosh she is so stinkin cute!

John, something about his hat backwards I just love...

Happy Father's Day Babe... I Love You!

Some of J... she's growing up so fast, I'm sure her mama will agree!

Shay... she got so much sun, and loved the beach!

Poor Nicole may hate me for this, but I had to share this one!

Baby C is sitting up already! She turned 6 months this weekend!

K... those eyes can make anyone smile.

Another awesome daddy... Rick.

How do you thank someone that has changed your life??

I'm not even sure where to begin with this post... I'm feeling this overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love for my midwife Kelli Johnson. I photographed Nandi and Jason's birth with her on Saturday and Sunday and it brought back all of the reasons why I chose her to deliver our baby girl here at home. She is truly one of the kindest, most loving, and nurturing women I have ever met. She believes in you and your dreams when you can't believe in yourself, she picks you up when you fall, and all the while has this smile that just sets you at ease. All it takes is one look from her, or simply her entering the room and all is okay.

I remember when I was looking for a midwife while pregnant. I never even considered going to an OB, I just knew I wanted a midwife. At that point I was thinking a birth center. I met with several in the area, the one I really liked was too far from home, so I decided to consider a homebirth and knew Kelli would be my first choice. I had been to a birth that Kelli attended about a year prior to that, and was so impressed with her and loved her right from the start. So I just knew that she would be a good fit before we even had our formal appointment with her. John was a little leary at first, but our first visit with Kelli left him confident that it was the right decision, he bonded with her immediately and had no reservations about our choice in a care provider. I remember feeling elated after our meeting with her when he agreed to move forward in the homebirthing direction. I just felt it my heart it would be perfect!!

Every prenatal visit was like going to see a friend. I never felt rushed, never felt like I was just another client, we would often talk for an hour or more. We went to her home, where it is peaceful and one of the most beautiful pieces of property I have ever seen. Certainly a change for me from my first pregnancy where I sat in a cold and uncomfortable waiting room with numerous other women, sometimes waiting an hour or more for my turn to be seen. I loved that my oldest daughter could take part in all of the appointments. She got to help with the blood pressure, and the doppler. I was so glad that she was able to be fully immersed in the experience as well, and I think it helped her to bond with her sister so quickly, knowing that she was a part of it all.

I remember when she arrived for our birth, I was in the tub in our bathroom. Until that point I had been nervous, tense, and just feeling overwhelmed. Literally the moment she walked into the room it was like a huge weight came off, like I was able to just be in the moment, to go with it, and to let go of my fears and hesitations. I put my faith and trust in her completely that she would take care of me and my baby to assure that she came into the world in the most peaceful, safe, and loving way. My birth experience was something that I will truly never forget... it's something that has forever changed me as a woman, as a mother, and it stays with me now when I attend the births of others.

At Bodhi's birth this weekend it brought all of my feelings for Kelli back to the surface. She truly is a warrior of birth, protecting women and their babies from the traumas that birth can sometimes bring. This weekend just only reinforced what I already knew... that she is meant to be delivering babies, that it is her calling and gift to this world and the women that are lucky enough to have her care for them. Nandi and Jason had a hard birth, first babies usually take their sweet time. Not once did you see anything other than peace on Kelli's face. She was there with them, in the moment, giving all of her energy and love to them, to the process, and to their baby boy. After Bodhi was born, one by one, each of us that was there went to Kelli for a hug... and as soon as she hugged us each of us broke down into sobs of tears. It's like with her hugs she gives you the internal signal to just let it go... to let all of the emotion just spill out. She is so strong in labor that she keeps everyone else strong too, and when it's all over and everyone has a chance to breathe and really take in what's happened, she is there again to comfort you and to let go of all the tension and savor the moment.

Again I can't begin to even figure out a way to say thank you to Kelli who has cared for me, loved me, loved my husband, daughter and baby girl. It's so hard to find the words to say thank you for something that special. I mean how often does someone come along and change your life in that way? How often does someone show you the power within yourself to believe and know in your heart that you have made the right choices for your baby? How often does someone just come along and make you a better person and a better mom just for knowing them? I think back about my birth and am so proud, so happy, and so content with how it all turned out. I couldn't have dreamed of having the experience the way we did, and feeling like it was so complete and so "right". I know I have the best midwife, who has taken my fears and shown me how to get through them, who has showed me the other side of birth, and how to trust myself!

To Kelli: You have changed my life and the lives of countless others. Those of us who are lucky enough to have you in their lives know exactly how I feel. It's something most unspoken and unsaid, but definitely felt in the heart. There are no words strong enough that can express the depth of our gratitude and admiration. We love you!!!

I have attached some of my favorite photos from our birth, and from Nandi's to show Kelli doing what she does best. She is truly an amazing beautiful soul with a huge heart for her pregnant mamas and their families! If you've had the pleasure of having Kelli attend your birth, please add your comments!!

A thank you to Margie Schulz for her amazing captures of our birth (she also took some of the ones of Nandi and Jason as well!).

First heart tones check when she arrived at our house...

Supporting me as I relax in the big tub.

Maggie and Kelli doing counter pressure on my back. That is some serious teamwork!

Our baby girl, being safely brought into this world with her help.

Big sister Shaylee helping Kelli get her new baby sister all bundled up. Yesterday she told me she wants to be "Miss Kelli" when she grows up. Kelli made quite an impression on her too eh? LOL!

The patient watcher and keeper of good loving energy!

She has to get her own photos too...

Hip counter pressure, she has the strongest arms of anyone I know!
She has the stamina of a LION!

Margie captured this... I love this moment, hopefully
I comforted her in the ways she has always done for me...

I turned around and saw her doing this and knew I just HAD to get a
photo. Her poor back was hurting, so she was doing this to straighten it out.
Crazy strength she has!

Just love that calm and peaceful smile...

Getting the supplies ready... she's always prepared!

My favorite shot of her ever I think... all 3 of them just have this peace about them.
Like they know something amazing is about to happen!

HA! Made ya look!

Just a beautiful moment during a normal birth!!

Heart tones on baby...

One of my favorites of Jason... he just lost it as soon as Kelli hugged him.
I don't think there was a dry eye in the room at that point!