photography

As you probably know, I've become very intrigued by photography over the past couple of years. I jumped right into it basically knowing nothing about anything but I was determined to become self-taught (is that a word?) I've attended workshops, studied online courses, read books, practiced, and even have had the amazing opportunity of being a professional shooter in weddings, engagements, and family sessions. I'm so grateful for the people that have been willing to let me have such amazing experiences by capturing some of the most special moments of their life.

With that said, I've come to the realization that I have SO much to learn about photography. I think I tried to take on too much too fast and it became overwhelming to the point that I was disappointing myself in my work. So tap those brakes...I'm now simply focusing on learning for a few months and looking at it from a hobby perspective rather than a business aspect. I love photography and don't want to get discouraged by it because I'm taking on more than I can handle.

I absolutely still want to photograph anything that anyone would ask me to but with the mindset that I'm doing it for fun and to become a better photographer... and that I can't promise that they're going to be the best photos they'll ever receive! I want to enjoy photography, I want to be able to learn more and capture first and foremost, the memories that my sweet little family makes everyday. I want to capture my children and sweet husband living and loving life.

I've never felt that I have had one specific hobby that is special enough to me to pursue it with my time and money until I found photography, so I'm grateful that I've found a passion that is mine!

The "I do's"!

I realize that the only thing I have ever written about since he has been born is Jack. We clearly love him! Montana was also amazing for other reasons besides J getting to meet everyone. Matt and I were a part of two very special weddings when we were home. Tucker & Kristin tied the knot as well as Jeff & Vanessa. Both weddings were beautiful, special, and so much fun. Kristin & Vanessa were of course gorgeous brides and the men didn't look too shabby either! Thank you both for letting us stand beside you as you begun your forevers...we love you!

*Tracy Moore Photography* Aren't they just the most beautiful couple?!

*Holly Gannett Photography* Also a stunning couple! I have such hot friends!

Baby J is 2 Months!

Our sweet little love is officially two months old now. I don't remember what life was like before he came into our world. I'm sure it was much less chaotic but I wouldn't trade this life for anything. In his short two months of life, he has already been on 10 different plane rides...to Denver and back and then to Montana and back. I wish he could start building frequent flyer miles but apparently lap babies don't warrant such a privilege. He was an absolute angel on all flights except for one. Soon enough, he will be wanting to get out of our laps, down onto the dirty plane floor, but for now, I will welcome his constant snuggles while traveling.

Montana was such a whirlwind. We were there for 2 whole weeks and saw SO many people that we love and miss. We kicked off our trip with Gannett wedding festivities and ended the trip with Waller wedding festivities. At 6 weeks old, we left Jack for the very first time for a night on the town. His first official babysitter was my mom when she was here and let me run errands by myself but we left him with Matt's parents as we went to the bachelor/ette parties for an entire night. This was both sad and fun! I handled it far better than I thought I was going to and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my girlfriends baby (and husband) free! Thanks Steve & Julie for taking care of sweet boy! After this initial night of leaving him with the grandparents, we left him several times with both sets of parents to tend to all of our wedding duties. My mom was such an amazing help when we were there...it was so nice to be able to share the parenting duty with her for a few weeks since we don't have that luxury here in SC. Jack loved spending time with all his grandparents as well as his great grandparents...so fun to think he has 4 great grandmas and 1 great grandpa!

I think we sat down on the couch to rest for about 2.5 seconds the entire time we were there so coming home to Charleston is always a welcomed relief as well. I love my friends and family but there is just always so much we want to do when we are in MT and it is impossible to fit it all in no matter how long we are there. It was so great seeing all of you though!

Here are some highlights below (impossible to post all the pics!)...

Baby angel slept the entire way to Montana on the plane

We flew from Denver to Billings with the Gannetts! You can see how travel changes with children :)

Meeting Auntie Jen at the airport!

Me and my Bass before the wedding.

Baby J meets Auntie V and Uncle Jeff

Jack's future mother-in-law & Baby Girl Ridgeway

The Bennetts came to visit! Don't worry, Jack and Lillian (5 months) weigh the same!

Uncle Joe!

Now Sisters!

Auntie Brenna

Uncle Mark!

Grandma Dede

Great Grandma with all her great grandchildren!

Tucker and Kristin during wedding decorating!

Sweet Addi & J.

Auntie Nicole!

My sweet boy is 2 months old!

As you can see, Jack met LOTS of aunties and uncles! There were many more that he met but I either don't have photos or have already posted them to facebook so I'll spare you of all the rest :) He is a loved baby!

And of course a letter to my sweet boy...

Dear Baby J,

We continue to fall more in love with you every single day. Your constant smiles and giggles bring daddy and I such joy. At 2 months of age, you are already so curious and observant. You watch our every move, studying what we do with such intent. Some of your favorite daily activities include swinging in your swing staring at the birds that hang above. You LOVE these birds, you are always smiling and laughing at them. It's hysterical. Other favorite activities include playing on your play gym, reading books, and chewing on your hands. The biggest change within the last month has been your ability to express your joy. You laugh and giggle all the time. You continue to also laugh in your sleep as well. Grandma Julie says she thinks you just have a happy heart. I agree with her which makes my heart happy! You are growing like CRAZY. You now weigh almost 15 pounds which is two times your birth weight...such a healthy boy. This also gives mommy a pretty great arm workout. So thanks for that! You are noticing your Raleigh Belle more and more. She rarely leaves your side and in true big-sister fashion, she is clearly annoyed by you when you cry. She just stares at you and walks away if you have been crying for a while. She used to be very concerned by your cries but now she just looks and you like "please be quiet". Your sleeping habits are getting much better. You struggled in Montana to find your "routine" but at home, you continue to sleep very well. You usually only wake up once a night around 3:00am. We are working on getting rid of this feeding time though...I know you can do it! I've decided that you will be one of those kiddos who loves to join their families for mealtime because it never fails that you ALWAYS wake up from your evening nap right when we sit down to eat dinner. That's ok though, we like it when our entire family is eating together (Raleigh included as she begs for scraps under the table...how charming :)). 

Daddy and I are so proud of you! Keep growing strong and learning new things everyday...we love you and are so grateful to be living this life with you.

1 Month

(I wrote this post a while ago...now Jack is almost 2 months old...but I wanted to publish it anyways so I can look back and remember what 1 month brought us in his life :) An up-to-date post soon to follow with lots of cute pictures!)

 I know, I know...I change my blog more than anyone you probably know but I get bored. And it's fall, I couldn't help it. Oh, and notice the awesome family photo in the corner...courtesy of the talented Brianne Haagenson!

This past month has been such a surreal whirlwind of both blessing and lots of prayer. Bringing a child into this world is one of the greatest yet scariest things. Jack is amazing but every day is a learning experience for both Matt and I. We are constantly laughing, loving, and smiling at him but our patience is also tested from time to time. I am beyond grateful for this although because I truly believe it has enhanced our marriage and lives.

1 Month @ A Glance:
Some of Jack's signature moves that he has displayed over the last 5.5 weeks include extremely loud grunting (both awake and while sleeping), stretching his arms into the air with fists squeezed shut, smiling and laughing in his sleep, gaining 6 pounds (yes, 6), eating at every chance he gets, and sighing with every breath while asleep (I just realized how funny he is when he sleeps). He loves sleeping on mommy and daddy's chest more than any other place. He also loves being patted on the butt and back but does not like his back rubbed. I think he's ticklish. Just this week, he has started to smile when you make funny faces at him and he LOVES being kissed...he think it's hilarious!

Tomorrow, we are taking Jack to the greatest place on earth...Montana! It will be his second plane time traveling via air...he's a frequent flyer already! Everyone is so excited to meet him!

our sweet little love...Jack {Part 2...Week 1}

We came home Saturday afternoon just after lunch. After the scariest car ride ever, we walked inside, put the carseat down and decided we weren't going to leave the house ever again :) The first thing I did was crawl into bed with Jack and we took a nap together...I was so tired, I could barely function. I had slept a total of 5 out of the prior 72 hours. This fatigue quickly went away though. Jack has been an amazing sleeper ever since we got home. I don't blame him for being crabby in the hospital, I wasn't comfy in my bed either. Matt has been home this entire week. It has been fun to spend these days as a family of 4 (Raleigh included), I couldn't have asked for anything more. Matt has been an amazing help, I couldn't have survived this week without him! As I look back on the individual days, they are kind of a blur but I'll remember them with a smile...so perfect.

Sweet boy Jack, 

You are such a blessing in Mommy & Daddy's life. You are perfect. We loved you the second we found out you were going to be a part of our family but fell even more in love the second we met you. You smell so sweet...your body and your breath. We love the way you smile in your sleep and purse your lips when you dream. You snuggle into us so soundly, it is hard to ever put you down. You only cry when you need your diaper changed or when you are hungry and sometimes, not even then. You are very mellow...always looking around and taking everything in. Your puppy loves you. She always wants to be by you and watching you. She whines if she can't see you in your bed so we prop her up to assure her that you're in there and that everything is ok. You don't mind when she tries to lick you, nudge you, or paw you. I think you already love her too. I know you'll be best friends soon.You only wake up one or two times during the night so I have to wake you up sometimes...a dream baby. You eat SO much but that's ok because it makes your cheeks extra cute! You are so strong. The doctor told us to never leave you alone because you move on your own already. You love your daddy so much. When he holds you, you just stare at him forever. When I hold you, well....you just want to eat :) You kind of have big feet but they are still cute as ever. We love the way your hair is already combed over...a true southern boy. We love to kiss your tiny neck, your skin is so soft. You have hairy ears which we think is hilarious and cute as can be. The doctor told us you would lose that hair but we kind of hope you don't...not for a while anyways! Your forehead wrinkles are to die for. And the way you cross your eyes always gives us a smile. We can hold you really close to our face to look you in the eye and you never cry, you just stare back. We love you so much, there are no words. Thank you for making me the only thing I've ever known I wanted to be, a mommy.

our sweet little love...Jack {Part 1...Birth Day}

Jack Matthew made his way into this world last Thursday, August 23rd at 3:55p.m. He was 7lbs, 7oz and absolutely perfect. In short, we made our way to the hospital at about 6:00a.m. on Thursday morning, got checked in, hooked up to an IV, had an epidural about 2 hours later, and peacefully waited to start pushing at about 2:30. Just a little over an hour later, Jack was laying on my chest. I felt this overwhelming love for this tiny human that I had been growing in my tummy for the past 40 weeks, I can't even explain how much I loved this little boy in just the first few seconds of meeting him. I know that anyone who has ever experienced this will understand that there are just no words.

The hospital that we delivered at is registered as a "baby friendly" hospital so they do things slightly different than other hospitals but I loved it all. After they put him on my chest, they waited to bathe him and weigh him until he had fed for the first time.  Let's just say he must have been starving in the womb beings that his first meal was 1.5 hours long :) Hungry bean! After he finished, they weighed him, bathed him, wrapped him up and handed him to his daddy for the first time. This was also a tender moment. He was so content, just staring at Matt. After my epidural had worn off, we transitioned into our postpartum room and started this journey as parents. We stayed in the hospital until Saturday just after lunch.

A few friends came to visit, we felt beyond blessed by their willingness to bring us food, gifts for Jack, you name it...we just felt very loved. It was sad that our families weren't here to experience this with us but thanks to technology, we were able to spend some time on FaceTime. All of the nurses and doctors were amazing...I was sad to say goodbye to them. I know that sounds weird but they had just shared in one of the best days of our lives in a way that no one else did. I absolutely loved our doctor, she is as sweet as can be and was so encouraging throughout delivery. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. We delivered at a newer hospital campus that is HUGE and never very busy. We were one of two patients delivering on Thursday so I was my nurse's only patient that day. She was so attentive...this pattern continued with all of the other nurses throughout the weekend...so grateful.

In the weeks and days leading up to delivery, I was very anxious about it. I couldn't stop thinking about how I couldn't wait for it to be over with. On the day of although, I felt nothing but peace and contentment and was not scared at all. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was perfect. 

August 23, 2012:

walking into hospital at 6 a.m.

We loved our nurse, Erynn!

This is how I felt right before I started to push!

So in love

First Bath

Daddy and Jack drinking coffee

Sweet Boy ready to go home!

Happy Birthday Raleigh Belle!

39 weeks, 4 days, and still cooking! I am trying oh so hard to enjoy my last few days of pregnancy. I know that the future days, months, and years will never just be about myself again but the anticipation of meeting this little one is killing me. I have indulged in baking, watching movies, and snuggling with Raleigh this week, although, and I won't complain about that!

In fact, Miss Belle enjoyed her very first birthday on Monday so we were able to celebrate her before her little brother joins the world!

This was RB when we first picked her up last October...I think she was about 8 weeks old at this point.

miss this tiny face

And here's our princess at 1 year! Still as sweet as ever...

As an "only child", I told her not to get mad next year if mommy and daddy forget to get her a birthday cake as our priorities may have shifted slightly by then but this year, she made out well. Matt would kill me for blogging about this but we used to take RB to doggie daycare once a week while we were both working. Since I finished teaching in June, she hasn't been back to see her friends and only gets to hang out with me most days. She LOVED going to daycare so for her birthday, I dropped her off and she was able to play with her friends all day which also gave me some relief of having to exercise her...so it was a win, win. I then picked her up and we went to Hairy Winston, the pet boutique by our house, so she could pick out a toy and some treats. We also picked up this...

Puppy Birthday Cake made with all natural ingredients...and yes, I did eat some of the yogurt icing!

After dinner, we let her enjoy half of the cake...

She put the entire cake in her mouth and moved it from her bowl to her bed. She didn't want to share apparently.

Lastly, I hope this is the last pregnant photo that I'll be sharing and the next will be of our little boy! Let's pray...

39 weeks