When we walked into the ultrasound room for my 30 week appointment today, the technician said "You're carrying high!" This is something my Mom has said to me over and over - each time she sees me. In fact my Mom kept questioning that baby Seaman was really a boy because of just how high I was carrying. (I guess the old wives tell from back in the day is that if you carry high, it's a girl. If you carry low, it's a boy.) I suddenly began to panic and questioned whether my Mom could be right regarding it being a girl after the technician commented about this as well. However, my panic was quickly put to rest once they got the ultrasound going. Baby Seaman is DEFINITELY still a boy. In fact, the technician's exact words to us were "WOW! This boy is well endowed." LOL! She took a photo for us and Brent made me promise not to share it here on the internet. Therefore, you'll have to take my word for it I guess. We all got to laughing about it and I found myself just glad that all the boy stuff I have purchased thus far wasn't going to have to be exchanged for pink items. Mom...the OB assured me that those who believe the high/low tale are still living in the ice ages and that there is absolutely no truth to it whatsoever.
Come to find out, the reason why little man appears to be so high in my tummy is because one...he is lying "transverse" instead of the normal up and down lengthwise position. For those who aren't familiar with what transverse means, it is basically where the baby is laying right to left instead of North and South. This new position of his explains my recent discomfort. I've had increased back pain. Can't sleep worth a darn. And have just felt an overall achy and uncomfortable feeling lately. I always feel him more on my right side - in my ribs - then I do on the left. This is because his butt is the only thing on the left side of me. His feet, hands/arms, face, etc. are all tucked nicely together over on the right side of me. This also explains why he moves, kicks, pokes and prodes at me when I lay or try to sleep on my right side. This is a sample photo of how a transverse baby is positioned in the stomach...(only my little guy is face down - looking toward my heiney)...
What is it about my kids that allow them to think these funky positions are OK? Ya know...Brennen was breech and that is what started this whole "must have a c-section" issue. Kenidi behaved and stayed head down in the correct position but look where that got me...an automatic repeat c-section because of Brennen's breech birth. Now I have this one laying side to side instead of up and down. Good thing they've already told me that I have to have another c-section or I might be having one either way if this kid continued to stay in this position. Stubborn Seaman babies, I tell ya.
On another note, it appears as though baby Seaman will be another big one. They told me he is measuring about a week and a half ahead right now. Her words were...he isn't a buddha baby but he will definitely have some extra padding when born. :) I'm used to this as I was told the same thing about Brennen and Kenidi and the doctors were correct in their guesstimations. They both came out as 8 pounders on delivery day. She looked at Brent and said they probably follow his height. I asked what classified a "big baby" to them and she said average babies total up to be around 50% in size right now. Bigger babies around 75% and buddha babies at say 95%. Well Baby Seaman is measuring at 71%. Therefore, he isn't HUGE but he is following the same protocol that his brother and sister did with their in utero growth.
Aside from that, everything looked great. The doc complimented me on my control with the weight gain again and also mentioned how great my blood pressure has continued to look given my heart condition and how far along I am. I guess she expected to have to up my heart medicine dosage by now considering how statistically they do in other women. I'm praying everything continues to go well over the next 9 weeks and that it all turns out happy and healthy for both the baby and I in the end. I'm also praying that he makes it to that December 2nd date and doesn't require me to go early because my parents and Brent's mom already have their flights scheduled for that specific time. What a nightmare that would be to have to call in the troops early and mess their schedules completely up with work and all. Ugh! I don't even want to think about it.
I go back to the OB in two more weeks and was told that we'd get another ultrasound around 34-36 weeks just to check his size again. I'm loving all of these ultrasounds this time around. I never had that many with Brennen or with Kenidi. It's awesome to see him on that screen. I can't wait to meet him in person come December.
In the meantime, thanks to all of you for your prayers regarding my photography news. I had some shoots for the local magazine I mentioned this week and boy did they test my photography knowledge and know how. The most recent shoot I did was for a doctor inside a treatment room with a large innovative new radiation machine behind him. Think MRI machine only 3 times as big. The room was dark and had blue color schemes coming from everywhere. The day before I shot a woman in her home that had yellow color casts coming from every angle. The lighting tested me - the blue & yellow color casts tested me - it was all such a learning experience. Thankfully I had a small pep talk with myself and with God out in the waiting room before my shoot with the doctor that day. I was so nervous that I was trying to talk myself into getting up and walking out. Of course I didn't but trust me - my feet wanted to. The enemy sure wanted to convince me that I wasn't qualified for the job. He almost won too. Almost. God finally shook me and told me to basically get a grip - to get a hold of myself and my fear. So I did. In the end, the shoot went great. And in fact, the doctor turned out to be a doctor from Indiana - just minutes from my old stompin' ground, Center Grove. (CG) Something about photographing a fellow Hoosier helped to put my mind at ease and gave me a sense of calm. It made all the difference in the world. I'm confident it was a God thing - placed there to help me overcome my insecurities for the session. It's amazing what you can do when you have God on your side - shaking some sense into you - ultimately forcing you to dig deep and gain confidence in yourself on a whim like that. I walked out of that hospital shoot feeling like a new woman. I got the images edited and sent them over to the magazines editor later that afternoon. Thankfully, the shots worked and will be used in their November issue. God is good. I couldn't survive this life without him.
Right now...we are gearing up for Grandma Debbie's (Brent's moms) arrival into town tomorrow. She'll be here visiting with us through Monday night. The kids will be thrilled to see her. In the meantime, I'm going to try some funky poking on my belly in my attempt to get baby Seaman to turn lengthwise and give me some relief. Something tells me he likes this position though and intends to stay there for a while. :0)
I "lifted" this photo right off facebook - off one of my Dad's friends pages. As many of you already know, this is my Dad and step-mom Cathy. Someone took this picture of them at a wedding they attended last weekend. The picture was tagged to me on facebook by their friend and I loved it so much that I wanted to steal it and use it here on my blog. So I did. :)
I wanted to take a moment today and wish them a Happy 24 year anniversary. It's so hard to believe that they've been married for 24 years. It seems like just yesterday when I was a little girl and their wedding was taking place. Amazing how quickly the time goes.
Not only did I want to wish them a Happy Anniversary but I wanted to thank them for being my solid ground all these years. For being my rock when I needed them. For being such a great marital example to me as I've grown up and become a married adult myself. Thank you Dad and Cathy for giving me stability in one area of my life where it was most important. I know I've said it before but I'll say it again - thank you for showing me how marriage is done "right." It is in your relationship that I find safety when everything else around me seems so dangerous or rocky. Thank you for being such a superb example to me all of these years. Not only that but thank you for being such great parents to me and such amazing grandparents to my children. We love you dearly and can't wait to have you hear in Naples with us come December 1st.
I also can't wait to see "baby Seaman" in both of your arms come December 2nd. It will be great to be able to add him to pictures with you guys just like the one above.
Dad and Cathy, I love you so very much. Happy Happy Happy 24 year anniversary. I'm so very proud to call you two my parents.
Last night I got the pleasure of shooting with some of my fellow Naples Photography peeps during a night photography shoot on downtown 5th avenue here in Naples. It started to rain early on in the evening but luckily it stopped by the time we needed to be out there. I enjoy being able to share my passion with such amazing people like the fellow photographers in this group with me. It is so fun to have the same interest and be able to learn from one another all at the same time. We have monthly get togethers and walk-abouts around town where we go and shoot together. The instructor also offers awesome classes that we can attend if it interests us. Needless to say, I attend everything I possibly can so that I can learn anything and everything about the world of photography. It's a constant learning process and that is what I love most about it. It's never a dull subject because there is always more to learn. That aspect keeps it all very exciting.
The shot of the trees lit up above was taken in front of the Sugden theater on 5th Avenue. It's a gorgeous spot that they keep lit up year round. Love that!
I love shooting on 5th avenue anytime I can. Downtown Naples is what I like to call a "mini" Rodeo Drive. The cars that line the streets are amazing. The shops are adorable. The people watching is fantastic. And the restaurants are phenomenal. Not only that but you walk steps down the street and right into the beach. The ocean/coast line is right there. It's an awesome place to live by. Gorgeous is an understatement. Rain or shine - it's truly like living in paradise everyday. In the shot above, I wanted to capture some light streaks from the cars going by. Thus the ribbon effect from the headlights. The process involves slowing your shutter speed way down and capturing the lights even though the cars that produce the headlight streaks are ghost like and not visible.
In this picture above, I was after "star bursts" with the lights. I wanted that effect on the green traffic light at the intersection and the lighting along the awnings of the businesses.
The fountains above are located outside the McCabe's Irish Pub on 5th Ave. McCabe's is the restaurant for the Inn of 5th hotel. (LOVE THAT HOTEL!) All of the restaurants in downtown Naples have tables that line the sidewalks outside. It is so fun to walk up and down 5th and then have dinner under the palm trees at the restaurants. The ambiance is always amazing in this area. Lots going on...
Again, I was after the light streaks from cars in the above shot. I loved the colored lights across the street and in the bushes here. The hubby and I had dinner at Bistro 821 the other night and sat right outside where this shot was aimed. It was a beautiful evening with the gulf breeze blowing and true to form Florida weather. Good times.
This one was just another close up shot of the water fountain in front of McCabe's.
And this ice cream shop...??? Well believe it or not - it is the only place we've been able to find a neon sign at in Naples. I loved that the bike was parked in front of it with the little red flashing light on it.
Even the parking garages in Naples are gorgeous. (above)
This was an alley (above) and I was again trying to capture some star bursts on the lights. If you look closely, you'll notice I caught some red tail light streaks going by at the far end of the alley as a car passed thru my shot. I had a great night with my Naples photography peeps and a great night just waddling walking around on 5th Avenue. It's always comical how many people approach us about what we are doing when we are there together with all of our cameras. Good times!
I hope all of you have a spectacular weekend. We've got dinner plans with our neighbors/friends this evening (back down on 5th avenue - YAY!) and then a low key weekend to just veg out. I love weekends when we have nothing planned. I'll be gearing up for my first ever shoot with the new magazine I mentioned yesterday. They've lined up a job for me and I'll be heading out to do it come Monday. Please say a little prayer for this nervous nelly in me. New situations are always good at giving me the nervous jitters from time to time. :)
Lots to be jumping for joy and smiling about these days. Are there down days, bad days, not so fun days? Oh sure. However, the good in life far outweighs the bad. I've had a spectacular week and have no one else to thank for it but the good Lord above. First off, I got word from my doctors office/OB that I PASSED the 2nd round of my gestational diabetes test. (Glucose test) YIPPEE~!!! Talk about relief. I'm so very thankful.
Second, I got word that I've been approved as an affiliate photographer for a phenomenal organization that is geared toward families whom have just given birth in the hospital to a new baby who might not survive. As a photographer, you volunteer your time and talent and photograph these families with their newborn in the hospital. This isn't something I'm necessarily excited about doing because I know it's going to rip every square inch of my heart out when I have to visit these families in the hospital and photograph them with their dying baby. However, after having experienced the loss of a baby early on with my own first pregnancy, I'm looking forward to being able to give back and turn that negative experience for us into a positive one -not for me - but for the families of these sick children. Although the job will be tough - harder than any I'll ever have in my photography journey I'm sure - I'm up for the challenge and ready to help these families when I get the call. The approval process to become a photographer for this organization was not an easy one and is just another opportunity that I know God has his hand in. I'm honored to be able to give my services to the individuals affected by these tragedies.
On a lighter note, I had a terrific meeting today with a local magazine editor and their published here in Southwest, Florida. They contacted me about doing some freelance work for the cover and the interior areas of their magazine on a consistent basis. Needless to say, I again feel very honored and blessed to have this opportunity. God's doings...you betcha! And although I'm as nervous as all get out about this new journey, I'm ready to ROCK it the best that I can and look forward to what new opportunities this endeavor might bring. The magazine editor and their publisher were extremely kind and made me feel at ease as we discussed the future together. I know this meeting went so very well because of all of your prayers after my last blog post. I can't thank you guys enough. My prayer warriors out there are priceless in my life. I love you guys!
Several weeks ago I was also contacted by an art gallery who is now working on a project for a northern Florida hospital. The art gallery has been commissioned to put together images for the new women's wing in the area of this hospital. They reached out to me and have asked to purchase and display some of my Florida images to be used inside this new hospital area. Again, I'm feeling so very honored. I can't explain what it will be like to see my images blown up and used within this hospitals hallways. My love for the Florida landscape and beauty of the sand and sea isn't anything I've ever kept a secret. I'm so thankful that others can appreciate those images as much as I do.
And last but not least, Kenidi's hippotherapy (horse therapy) organization has asked me to work for them/photograph an upcoming community event and work to provide some images for future publications in regards to their website and their marketing materials around town. I am really excited to work with them because all of you know how much I adore their program and what it has done for Kenidi. On top of that, I have a couple of other charity organizations which I'll be photographing for in regard to their up and coming breast cancer awareness events. In a nutshell, life is busy.
There were days when we first moved here that I thought I'd NEVER get my name out there around the community. It has been so very tough to move from Indiana to a totally different state and attempt to make a name for your photography business all over again. Thankfully God has placed me in front of many great people who have in turn handed myself and my business off to their friends and business associates. Not only that, but the local photography group I belong to has been a tremendous help in promoting my name as well. Peggy, our leader of the group, is amazing and works very hard to put together events that will better each of us as photographers as well as help to get our business name out there on the street. I can't thank her and my fellow Naples Photography peeps enough for welcoming me as they have. It makes moving away from home a little bit easier to stomach at times. Ya know? I've made friends from that group that I would've never had if it weren't for Peggy and her organizing of all of us, the events, classes, etc. And ironically, another few avenues I have to thank for the promotion of my business are funny enough - Facebook and Twitter. Whether it be my photography sessions or the classes I teach, Facebook and Twitter have been instrumental in helping me promote those services. The power of social networking has become a priceless marketing tool in my photography business.
In the end though, when push comes to shove, I am completely confident that none of these opportunities or the ones yet to come would be possible without God. All of the glory goes to him. We've been here in Naples for almost 10 months now and after God testing my patience for most of that time, he is now presenting me with the blessings that come along with sustaining faith and patience. As you all know, I'm not the most patient person on the face of this earth. In fact, God has had many lessons and many conversations with me in life regarding my lack of patience. I am the type that when I want something, I want it now! I'm no different when it comes to making things happen. I tend to want to snap my fingers and make it all happen - just like that. As we can all attest to, life just doesn't work like that. Therefore, I am God's constant work in progress when it comes to demanding things right NOW! I'm slowly but surely learning that with faith and hard work, good things will come to those willing to wait.
And on top of all that, the same goes for waiting out a "baby." LOL! Little baby Seaman is still cooking away in the oven - growing strong at 29 weeks. Today marks 10 weeks left before my c-section. That 10 weeks cannot come soon enough. I know God sits back and laughs at me when I pace with anticipation for something. This pregnancy is no different. He is having a ball up there - watching me squirm as I count down the remaining days. I'm so very glad he finds me amusing. :0)
Thank you to each of you who come here and read this blog everyday and whom allow me to share my joy, my accomplishments, my sadness and my vents with you. The purpose of this blog has always been to journal the good, the bad, and the ugly in my life. It has definitely served that purpose well in the past 4 years since its conception. Thanks for sharing in my excitement and for being so loving and supportive to our family over the years.
I'm off to take Kenidi to therapy with her horse now and then I have a night photography class tonight. A fun evening indeed. And because a post just isn't a decent post without a picture, here are a couple of random nature & floral ones for ya...
Last month, Gulfshore life magazine came out to the horse stall's where Kenidi has therapy each week. They photographed Kenidi riding her therapy horse, Dotty. (photography by Brian Tietz) They also had a journalist there who interviewed me as her Mom and what I thought about the program. The photographer was nice enough to share these images with me afterward so I thought I'd share a few of them with all of you. The top image is my favorite. There is just something about the wide angle and her little bitty body up on that big horse against that really red barn. And the clock. Well the clock would normally distract my eye as a photographer. But in that shot, it somehow seems significant and just fits.
It's amazing what riding these horses for the past almost 2 years has done for her. Just her posture alone is so very evident. She sits straight, tall, and refined when riding. When you watch her, you might think that she had been riding all of her life if you didn't know any better. Riding her horse is the one thing she asks about consistently. She loves horses. She will wake up asking to ride and could go to sleep asking to ride. She loves "Dotty" and as Brent always says...It is the one activity in her life that brings her tremendous joy. His words..."it's what makes her happy." When she climbs onto the horse to ride each week, she morphs into this completely different child. I love to watch her excitement which starts the minute we put on her riding hat and pink cowboy boots at home. She immediately knows where we are headed. On this particular day she was wearing her jean shorts and tennis shoes but normally she dons the cowgirl attire for the event and everyone rants and raves over those famous pink cowgirl boots of hers. Needless to say...she eats it up by the spoonfuls. :)
Kenidi hugs on Dotty and pats her down every chance she gets. When she exits the horse, the side walkers literally have to pry her hands away and off of Dotty in order to get her out of the barn. She can take an additional several minutes just to let loose of the horse and say goodbye to her until that next week.
It is because of programs like this that Kenidi is where she is today. Without her hippotherapy, I'm quite confident that she wouldn't be near as far along in her progress as she is. For her, the horse therapy isn't "work" so to speak like the regular physical therapy once was for her. She is passionate about her horse and she loves to be able to ride. No matter what they have her doing while on that horse, she doesn't view any of it as "work." Instead, she LOVES it and begs to keep going back. And for that reason, we'll keep taking her.
It's Sunday night now, about 7:15pm, and she is crashed out beside me in our bed already. She had a long weekend. Our out of town guests/friends from Michigan flew home this afternoon and we are now settling in for the ruckus of what Monday will bring. If you can, keep me in your prayers this week, will ya? I have several opportunities that have presented themselves regarding my photography and I couldn't be more excited - although a nervous wreck all at the same time. I have some meetings this week in reference to these opportunities and I'm praying that they go well. On top of that, I'm also still awaiting the results of my gestational diabetes test for my pregnancy though. It's a lingering annoyance that will reign until I get that call with a yay or nay confirmation that I passed the 2nd test. More details on that outcome as I receive them. Until then, I'm off to assure that my 11 year old son gets his 60 minutes of reading time in tonight for his language arts class so that I can sign off on it for him. Can I mention how much I love his teachers and school this year as well? Although I'm over the constant nuisance of class projects and/or book reports he has due, I'm thrilled with his progress and his teachers there at the middle school. For something that seemed so worrisome, he appears to have this whole gig down pat with a vengeance and is pulling in the best grades I've ever seen from him thus far. We can't ask for anything better than that. God always has a way of softening the fear of the unknowns and leaving us with such peace when his puzzle begins to fit together, doesn't he? Brennen is in a good place. Kenidi is in a good place. "We" are in a good place.
Yeap...you guessed it. Here I sit - in my car - blogging on my laptop - hoping to kill some time while I "RE-TAKE" my glucose intolerance test. Otherwise known as pregnancy's gestational diabetes test. Rumor has it that I failed the one hour test last week so now I'm back for the three hour one. That three hours consists of 4 blood draws and fasting since 9pm last night. Thus meaning that I can't eat again until after 12 noon today. I'm S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G! I don't eat read meat very often but today...I'm thinking a nice, juicy, cheeseburger and fries from Five Guys burgers is really going to hit the spot once I can bust outta' this lab. :) The real torture came at 6am this morning when I had to get up and make the famous guacamole dip for a class project that Brennen had due today. Yes, for his consumer science class we had to make a family recipe that we all love, write about it, and send it in for a grade today. Talk about going insane. Have you ever been so hungry you could eat a horse all while having your favorite dish right in front of you but you can't even taste test it while making it??? I thought I was going to die. I just wanted to curl up in a fetal position over in the corner and cry. I'll be making up for this fasting come noon today though. Don't you worry! Funny thing is...the lab told me that I was only allowed to go as far as their parking lot while waiting out this three hours. I am not supposed to leave. Well of course in true rebel style, I bolted and snuck out during the first hour of the test. I thought to myself..."Whata' they gonna do? Follow me???" LOL! So...I strategically parked far enough from the receptionists window so that she couldn't see me leaving. I got in my car, went and filled up my gas tank and then ran home to my own restroom. The lab restroom is GROSS. Last time when I was here taking the one hour test, I heard another patient come out and inform the staff that he had spilled his urine specimen all over the sink and floor in their bathroom. There is only ONE bathroom. Needless to say, the idea of going back in there and touching door knobs, sink faucet's, etc. makes me physically ill. So...when a girls got to go, she sneaks out of the lab and goes at home. HA! I made it back in plenty of time and I don't think they ever realized I was gone. I told my parents that I felt like a kid in school skipping class or something. It was too funny. What does failing the first glucose test mean you ask? Well it means that if I don't pass this next three hour test, my life is over as I knew it. If I fail this one, I'll be put on a strict diabetic diet throughout the remainder of my pregnancy and will have to prick my finger for blood tests/readings each day. YUCK! As you can imagine, the thought of no junk food such as cupcakes during the remainder of my pregnancy almost seems criminal. I can't bare the thought. I'm praying I pass this test with flying colors and can put all this behind me and just pretend it never happened. I should know mid next week whether I passed or not. Cross your fingers for me, will ya?
Going from bad to good news...I did have my 7 month/28 week check up this week with my OB. Other than me failing the first glucose test and my iron levels being low (from not eating red meat), all looked and sounded very well. She has graduated me to every two week appointments now and with the next appointment on September 29th, we get another ultrasound which I wasn't anticipating. She said they do it for Moms 35 and over whom also have heart problems or are on heart medication, etc. I'm so thankful for another chance to see our little man on the ultrasound screen. Sending up prayers again that he still looks healthy and well. The OB officially scheduled my c-section for December 2nd at 7:15am should I make it that far. I'll be 39 weeks on that day. (a week earlier than my due date) What an early morning that is going to be. I have to be at the hospital by 6am to prep for the surgery. I get butterflies just typing that part. WHEW!
UPDATE: I survived the 3 hour glucose test. Won't know my results until mid next week but until then, I'm pigging out in fear that they are going to call me and tell me that I failed that one too - leading to this strict diabetic diet. Therefore, I'm living it up until I get the confirmation that I did or didn't pass. And in true rebel style, I left the lab and headed straight for Five Guys burgers as mentioned above. This was my way of making up for that 12 hour - really 15 hour - fasting nonsense...
This is BIG for me because I am not a red meat eater. Rarely will you ever catch me sinking my teeth into any kind of animal actually. I'm by no means a full fledged vegetarian but with each year that passes, I become more and more close to that. I don't care for meat let alone red meat. Give me pasta and carbs and then I'm a happy, happy girl. However, when you haven't eaten in 15 hours, your body craves some crazy junk. Today it was a fat, nasty, cheeseburger. I tried to resist the urge but finally caved to the weakness. It was a total artery clogging and truly disgusting meal when you get right down to it but daggone - it sure tasted good! One of those every once in a while can't hurt a girl, right??? I'm back home now and ready to start editing some images from last nights shoot at the studio. I had a blast with my Naples Photography peeps again and can't wait for our event next week. (Night photography on 5th avenue - YAY!) Until the next post, go eat a big, fat, artery clogging cheeseburger and enjoy every minute of it. I know I did.
PS...Just wanted to send up prayers for the families of my two girlfriends who died tragically in a car accident 21 years ago today. I know I've blogged about them here before. Some of you might remember those posts explaining the details. There isn't a year that goes by where this date doesn't haunt me. Tracy Jones and Ann Grube were taken way too soon from this earth. I pray heavily for their parents and what pain they must go thru on a daily basis let alone on the anniversary date of their accident each year. We were freshman in high school when the accident happened. Too young to die. They've been dead longer than they were ever alive at this point. For me, that is so very hard to stomach. I can't imagine what it does to their parents. I know that their parents have access to my blog and we've tried to keep in touch with them somewhat thru the years. If the Grube or Jones families are reading this post, know we are lifting you up incessantly in our prayers today and always. I know I've told you before but I'll say it again...they are gone but never forgotten. All of the girls within our group will always remember Ann and Tracy and the loss that is still felt even today from their passing all those years ago. :(
I walked into the labor and delivery section of the hospital this morning toting tons of paperwork with me. The front desk security card took my drivers license, photo copied it, and then made me pose in front of a camera for a photo id too. Needless to say, they aren't messing around when it comes to those coming and going in the maternity/delivery area. I love the extra security considering how I'll be delivering there in 11 more weeks myself.
Security directed me upstairs to the labor and delivery floor for my scheduled appointment. I was there today for my pre-registration for my epidural this time. I had to go pre-register for the hospital stay a couple of weeks back but this time I was being directed to labor and delivery for the anesthesia portion of my stay. Apparently now days they want everything done and ready to go prior to your arrival when it comes to the delivery. I mosey-ed my way down the postpartum hallway in an attempt to find the office I was supposed to go to for my pre-registration appointment. As I passed each postpartum room, my knees got more and more weak. The smell of the hospital suddenly sent a massive amount of memories flooding back. I kept thinking to myself..."I can't believe I'm about to do this again. I just can't believe it." I continued to try and put one foot in front of the other while making my way to the epidural consult office. With each step, the nervous jitters set in more and more. I don't know that I'd call it "fear" necessarily but more like a huge bound up ball of emotions that has been building over the past 7 months. All of a sudden it hit me like a ton of bricks that I'm like seventy odd days away from delivering our little boy via my 3rd c-section. I'm so very excited to meet our son but the whole thought of the c-section, the surgery, the aftermath for the 24-48 hours following, and just the recovery in general is just crippling me today. I don't remember feeling so jittery with my other two c-sections but then again, one of those was 7 years ago and the other being 11.5 years ago. I've done some sleeping since then and I'm sure I've successfully blocked out the memories of being scared and nervous since then.
The postpartum floor was immaculate, very nice, and had extremely spacious rooms. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not quite sure why I thought it would be any different but I'm glad to have been able to view everything ahead of time. During my pre-registration consult for the epidural, they of course go over everything leading up to the surgery and during/after the surgery as well. I even had to watch some video explaining the process of administering anesthesia and the worst case scenarios of what could happen when doing so. I felt like they could have left all the negatives out and I would've been just fine not knowing or not remembering the risks involved. Between the anxiety of the surgery, knowing I'll be away from my other two children for three full nights before being released from the hospital, and just the unknowns all together, I was a nervous wreck by the time I left the hospital appointment this morning. I got back in my car and realized that I needed to take a few deep breaths and figure out a way to balance my nerves and stabilize my emotions again. My heart was beating out of my chest. Of course my first thought is to always pray for peace. And so I did.
I'm quite sure these bouts of nervousness will come and go again as I approach these last 11 weeks. I see my OB tomorrow for my 7 month check-up and to seal the date in stone for my c-section (which they tentatively have set for Dec. 2nd). After that appointment, I start going to more frequent OB appointments. Rather than every 4 weeks, it goes to every 3 weeks. Then every two. And before you know it, you are going once a week right up until your delivery. When they start making you come more frequently like that, you know your delivery date is within reach. The next 2 to 2.5 months are going to be a complete whirl wind. We have friends and family coming in from out of town to visit, lots of things to tackle before the little mans arrival, my photography classes to organize and teach, sessions to fulfill, sessions to edit, and so forth. Again, I'm practicing how to balance my nerves when it comes to all that I know needs to be done in the next two months. On December 1st, my parents are set to arrive for two weeks to help us take care of the new little one as well as just help out with the normal day to day bus and school routines with Kenidi and Brennen following my surgery. Brent's Mom, Debbie, will be come into town the same day my parents are leaving. She'll be here for a week following after that. So...we should have plenty of help between them as well as my own Mom up until the Christmas holiday. I have high hopes of getting my Christmas shopping done during the month of November so I don't have to worry about it once the baby arrives. I'm so thankful for supportive and loving family members who are taking time out of their busy schedules and time off work to come stay with us. We couldn't do it without them. I'm sure of it!
As I sit here and type, baby Seaman is kicking so strongly that it is visible on the outside of my "buddha belly" and shirt. I'm always amazed at just how powerful they become in the third trimester like this. I wonder if my anxiety and nervous jitters play any part in how active he is today. I wonder if he senses my excitement yet my nervous-ness. I do know one thing for sure. For someone who wasn't planning or expecting this pregnancy by any means, I'm madly and deeply in love with this child & I cannot wait for the next 11 weeks to zoom by so that we can meet - eye to eye - face to face - in person. I can't wait to introduce him to his brother and sister. I can't wait to see my parents holding him in their arms as they've done with my other two babies. I can't wait to show him what it feels like to sugar his toes in the sand for the first time or to see the big vast ocean with his own eyes for the first time beings that he resides only 5 minutes from it. There are so many things I can't wait for. So many things I never planned for - never had in my deck of cards - but now am eagerly awaiting. Thanks to God's unexpected blessings, our Christmas this year will be epic - no doubt. Grand in every sense of the word. Even with all of the nervous emotions, I realize that this "surprise" baby was in God's master plan. Therefore, I will continue to pray that God keeps him safe, watches over the remainder of my pregnancy, and blesses us with a very happy and healthy delivery come December.
I'm headed out the door now to go pick Brennen up from his weight lifting club that he does after school twice a week. Kenidi just got off the bus so our evening routine is beginning. Back to balancing the nerves. :) Thank goodness for God and his ability to provide me the peace I need as this next chapter in our book unfolds. Much love, Angie
Last week I got the honor of photographing a young girl for her modeling portfolio. This was the first time she had ever done photographs for a modeling spread. However, you'd never know that by looking at her images here. She seemed like a natural and could have fooled me. If you were watching her, you would've thought that she had done this 1000 times over again. She didn't seem nervous or stiff to me in any way, shape, or form. In fact, she was very footloose and fancy free in my opinion. That type attitude always makes for a very laid back and casual session with no pressure. Her relaxed demeanor plays out big time in these images...
We went to my favorite spot here in Naples...what I call Secret beach. Secret beach is near the location that my friend Lacey gave me a heads up about when we first moved here last year. Her parents live here in Naples so she had told me about a spot far out of the way where little to no public traffic is present. When you go there, there are usually very few people. And when you walk farther south, you run into the end of the coast line and it opens up into nothing but vast ocean. It's a great place to go and feel God's utmost presence. It's just you, him, and the sea. I absolutely love it there.
On this particular night though, "Miss A" had a stalker. LOL! I chuckle about it now but at the time it really wasn't funny. Long story short, we were approached by a very strange man on the beach who started out inquiring about why I was taking photographs of her. He tried to pull the "Oh yeah, I majored in photography" card so that he could continue chatting a bit longer. He moseyed on down the beach for a bit but came back to us a short time later. "Miss A" was changing her clothes and while she was away, he approached us again and this time asked if he could "join in on some shots with her. If so, he said...I can position my knife I have on me to be hanging out of my mouth during the shots with her." He also mentioned something about getting in the "bushes" and taking some shots with her there and so forth. Needless to say, we were quite spooked at this point. Luckily we had another male photographer who had joined us for the shoot that night and therefore, we weren't alone with this idiot. After explaining to him that his ideas weren't an option, he eventually left but not after having stood there for what seemed like forever - just not going away. UGH! For Naples, this kind of individual was a rare breed. I've not encountered anything like that before while here. He clearly reeked of alcohol and was not from around here. By the time I got to my car that night, darkness had completely fallen and I found myself repeatedly thanking the big man upstairs for keeping us out of harms way. That could have turned into a really scary event had someone not being watching over us.
Aside from that ordeal at the end of the night, the beach was as beautiful as ever during this session. If there is one thing I can be sure of, it's that we live in paradise everyday here in Naples. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm so blessed to be able to call THIS my "office."
And I'm even more blessed to photograph clients that know how to work it...like this...
As I listen to everyone we know back in the Midwest talking about how the temps are cooling down and Fall is approaching...I find myself remembering that this is why we moved here. It's this time of the year that Florida is known for. From October thru May, it is the place to be. And here "we be." I'm so looking forward to Florida's Fall temps and the weather cooling down a bit. It's good to know that we'll be far far away from the snow and ice of the Midwest this again this year. Being on the beach during this shoot that night reminded me even more of why I love the shoreline so very much. How could you not love the beauty of the sand and the sea?
And for the end of this particular session, we broke out some paint. Yes, paint. This client was up for the challenge and totally ROCKED the paint idea. I mean can you get anymore gorgeous??? Just look at her...
I had a ball! Thanks Miss A. for allowing me this opportunity to work with you. I just hate it that you don't live here in Florida so that we could plan more sessions on a regular basis - minus the scary weird dude of course. Ha ha! You were way too much fun!Let me know if you are ever back in the area and want to hook up for some future sessions.
As for this evening, the "hubs" and I have dinner plans with some friends. I'm off to go conquer some errands before we head out tonight. Tomorrow, I have a fun job in another city within Florida - shooting at a Pirate Festival. I can't wait to see what kind of fun images come from that event. Then, I have a family session scheduled for this Sunday morning. Lots going on. Good times ~ good times! Hope all of you have a spectacular weekend. Until Monday, tu ta lou! XOXO, Angie
A few weeks back I was paying Brennen and Kenidi's lunch money online via their schools website. I happened to briefly notice that Kenidi's grade level was noted as a 3rd grader within the lunch site I was on. I found that odd but didn't think a whole lot about it at the time. I figured it was a typo and left it alone. Since then, I've seen several papers come home that referred to Kenidi as a third grader again. Finally, last week, I broke down and looked at Brennen one day and said..."What grade is your sister in?" His reply immediately was - "2nd grade." Good, I thought. I was right. She's in 2nd grade. I again chalked the 3rd grade notations up to a typo. Then, she came home with a paper from school yesterday and it was a cute little project that they had crafted in class. It had her hand prints with a big sign that read: "I am in third grade this year." It really threw me back a bit and I seriously began to think I was loosing my mind. Was Kenidi really in 3rd grade this year - and not 2nd as I've always thought she was? Was I soooooo pregnant that my brain had turned to mush and I was confusing her with a 2nd grader when she is really a third grader? I didn't know for sure but suddenly I began to second guess myself and started to think I was wrong and that the school was right. I asked Brent the same question I was asking myself..."What grade is your daughter in?" He then began going backwards and trying to recollect teachers she had and for what grade she had them. At one point, I almost picked up the phone and called her old teacher (whom we love) back in Indiana and said..."Alison, what grade did you teach Kenidi?" LOL! I seriously had to stop and wrap my brain around the last few years, her age, and what teachers went with what year. I had Brent so confused that he finally picked up the phone at 9:30pm last night and called his Mom. He looked at me and said..."We'll call Grandma - she'll know." HA! I mean how bad is it that we as parents couldn't be sure that Kenidi was either a 2nd grader or a 3rd grader. In our defense, with her special needs classrooms, they put multiple grades together (such as 2nd & 3rd) in the same classroom. Therefore, it isn't like a regular peers class that is specifically labeled as third grade or second grade, etc.
Right away...without hesitation...Grandma Debbie replied to Brent's question with "2nd grade." We knew then that the school was wrong. For some reason Grandma Debbie knowing the grade level of Kenidi helped us "know" the grade level of Kenidi. Don't forget that Grandma "D" was a school teacher up until this year. She just recently retired. Not that it mattered when it came to this particular question. We just knew she'd know. And know correctly at that. Thank goodness she (Grandma D) has been by the phone when we needed her several times this week already when it came to Brennen's 6th grade math homework too. Lawwwddddd....help Brent and I in regards to middle school homework. Brennen is in trouble with us as parents. What does the rest of America's parents do without Grandma D's that were teachers when it comes to homework for their child??? Are we really that dumb or do the rest of you struggle like we do with this homework business? When it comes to proper and improper fractions, I'm out. I know nothing! NOT-A-THING! Ha ha!
Anyway, back to not knowing what grade my daughter is in... :0)
This morning I decided I'd better make some calls to the school. Sure enough, I get a hold of someone in the front office who informs me that Kenidi's data shows her as a third grader. I began explaining to them that she moved here at the last half of the year last year from Indiana and to our knowledge, she was still a first grader when we arrived here in Naples. Thus, making her a 2nd grader this year. I told the gal that she is only 7 - she can't be a third grader, right??? I immediately noticed the un-sure quiver in my voice again. I was looking for her to confirm that. She told me that they would have to get in touch with the gal who inputs all of the data for the student database and then have this woman correct all of Kenidi's info back to 2nd grade. Craziness. I got off the phone and realized that they would have advanced her to middle school a year sooner had we not caught this. My mind was racing. I don't want her going to middle school as it is, let alone a year sooner. I was panicked. I then went so far as to call her old school back in Indiana just to confirm that they had her listed as a first grader when we left there last year. Sure enough...they did. Their records backed up my Mommy brain - proving that my daughter was in 2nd grade - not third grade. I KNEW I WASN'T CRAZY!!!
Seriously though, if you knew how much this ordeal has stressed me out today, you'd laugh. I suddenly feel much better knowing that she has 4 more years until she hits the middle school instead of just three. The whole scare of middle school a year sooner than I had remembered - had my mind wound up so tight that my brain cells were like crazed lunatics at this point. I was freaking out.
As I look at the picture above, taken back in Indy just a month ago with my Dad and Cathy's dog, I think to myself..."Look at her Angie! How could you possibly ever think she was already in third grade??? She is still your little baby." My peanut brain played some tricks on me in the past couple of weeks for sure. Amazing how someone or some thing can really cause you to question your sanity at times, eh? Is this a direct result of motherhood at its finest? Maybe it is solely to do with my pregnancy and how fast this baby boy of ours is going to be here. I'm 27 weeks today - that means we have 12 weeks to go until my c-section. Where have the past 7 months gone? Who took my brain and scrambled it up like an omelet in a cast iron skillet? I was loosing it for a bit there.
Aside from that, yesterday marked the 12 year anniversary of my due date with our first child. The baby girl we lost back in 1998. Alexa Briane would've been 12 years old sometime this month had she lived. God had other plans for her. Clearly. Each year around this date I think about the what if's? What if she would've been healthy and made it to term? Brent even said last night..."If she would've lived, do you think we'd even have Kenidi right now?" Truth is, I don't know for sure. If Alexa would've been born healthy and then we would've had Brennen, who really knows if we would've ever even tried for Kenidi. I do know this...Alexa is waiting to meet us someday and the same goes for us. I tell Brennen all the time that he has a big sister waiting to taunt him in heaven someday. :) It helps to know that she is up there looking out for her 2nd baby brother while I carry him to term. The pain of her loss never goes away. As a Mother, many of you know what that experience feels like. In the end though, I know God's plan was written in stone for a reason. I trust him. As painful as it is, I trust him. Back to my life motto that I live by everyday..."There will be years that ask and there will be years that answer. In the end, God NEVER "wastes" pain." If I was a tattoo girl, I'd totally have that tattooed down my back in huge letters. I'm not an "ink" girl though so instead I have to inscribe it into my brain every second of every day.
Sorry for the deep post today. With the trash the dress images over the past week and my absences here on the blog recently, I realize you guys haven't had the chance to read my journaled ramblings for a while. Many of you are probably thankful. Unfortunately today, I unloaded. My brain needed purged. Really it did! :) I still have more photography sessions to share. No worries. I just thought I'd take a quick detour today and get back to my personal blogging style rather than my working blog content centered around photography. Stay tuned...more fun stuff and plenty of images to come. For now, I'll leave you with this quick image of some cute little goodies I got for Baby Seaman today. Shopping for newborn little man clothes made my heart swoon this morning. Our time is ticking. He'll be here before we know it. I even broke out the "hospital check list" this morning. 12 more weeks to go. 84 more days actually but whose counting, eh?
(above image shot with iphone 4 camera)
And the cute lil' socks...they are for my Dad. They say "I love Grandpa." I figured they'd make a great addition to his wardrobe beings that we are naming his middle name after his Papa's middle name. :) I don't like boy clothes with dogs, bears, turtles, giraffes, etc. on them. I'm all about solid colors/plain or clothes that have that rock star look to them. You know...the peace signs, guitars, skateboards, surf boards, etc. instead. If I walk into a store and see one more boys section flooded with boys clothes that have animals all over them, I'm going to croak. What's up with that? Here soon I'll have to share some pictures of the little rock star(ish) outfits we plan to bring him home in. Thank goodness for the online boys boutiques that believe in 'out of the box' attire. Although few and far between, they are there if you dig for them. :) This mama needs something a bit more stylish than alligators on her new little man's clothes. Hee hee! If you guys know of any cool boys boutiques online that you can forward to me, by all means...let me know. I'm always on the hunt for something unique.
Until tomorrow, enjoy your evening. Much love, Angie
TRASH THE DRESS - PART 6 (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)
This beautiful young girls shoot was toward the end of our day. By this point, we were really "trashing" the dresses as we photographers like to say. No more staying clean, prim, and proper, it was time to get down and dirty. And when I use the term "dirty," I mean that literally...
My bride for this shoot rolled around in that bug ridden mud like it was cotton candy or something. She had no fear. No worries whatsoever about getting dirty or bit by anything running rapid on the ground. To say she was stunning is an absolute understatement. Beautimous...
We have a very large Banyan tree at the front of our neighborhood like this one below. I love them. Totally perfect for a picture spot. We utilized it and another one near the shoot to the fullest extent when at this location.
The only problem was...just about 1/2 way through this session, we noticed that the bride had tons of ants crawling up and down her feet and legs. The ants here in Florida are potent. Most of the time they are the red fire ants which bite and hurt like you know what. They attack with a vengeance. Our crew panicked. The bride never flinched even so much as flinched though...
Thankfully, we looked around and low and behold we found a garden hose nearby. The initial thought was to spray the ants off her legs with it. But one quick glance at the hose, the dirt, her, etc. and all of a sudden...the garden hose became a photography prop. A quite awesome one if I do say so myself.
Love those impromptu images. Love love love them! They are the REAL moments on a shoot.
A massive thank you to Miss B. for allowing me to photograph her on this day. You were such a trooper girl. I couldn't have asked for a better client. :) Another set of thanks to Michele Galuppo and Nancy Joseph for their hair and make-up magic with this bride. Awesome job yet again ladies.
It's about 12:40pm on Wednesday and I'm now off to tackle the rest of my to-do list before a family shoot I have tonight. I'm slowly but surely making my way through the 'must do' tasks for this week. Maybe one of these days I'll wake up with a free day with absolutely nothing to do, eh? Nah...prolly' not! :( Wishful thinking I guess.
BEGINNER PHOTOSHOP POST PROCESSING TECHNIQUES CLASS
(Gorgeous "before" photograph taken by the talented Angie Seaman Photography student, Allison Pete. "After" image post edited by Angie Seaman.)
Ever wanted to be able to take a photograph like the one on the left and edit it to reflect an even better image such as the one on the right? Many times we take great images that can be made even more stellar with the help of photoshop. If you've had an itchin' to learn beginner photoshop editing techniques, you've come to the right place.
If you find yourself as a newbie in the world of photography wanting to learn how to implement/use photoshop more with your images, we have the class for you. On October 13th, I'm offering another "watch me work" photoshop post editing class. The class is held LIVE via a webinar from my computer to yours. You will be able to watch me take images from point A to point B in the post editing process. No software is required for this class but if you have a version of photoshop or photoshop elements, you'll be taught techniques to play around with once class is over. (I'll be using Photoshop CS4 to teach the class) During the class we will discuss such techniques as eye popping, color popping, cropping, curves, layers, masking, opacity, tools/tool bar, brief color correction, sharpening, work flow, and so much more. You will also be given links to discounts for such things as photoshop programs, actions, and textures, overlays, and so forth once class has ended. The discounts alone are well worth the cost of this class. Speaking of cost, it is $99 per person for the two hour LIVE class with me. Date and time are October 13th from 7-9pm Eastern Standard time. If you'd like to purchase a seat for this class, you may do so by going to my photography website HERE. Click on the "classes" page once there and register/purchase via pay pal.
PLEASE NOTE: This is the last class of this type that I will be offering this year. I'll be taking some time off and on maternity leave thru January/February of next year. Therefore, please get your seat in this class while you can. Only 8 more spots are still left available. Seats are going fast because everyone knows I'm taking the end of the year off due to my pregnancy. Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com
Looking forward to having you in class. Blessings, Angie
TRASH THE DRESS - PART 5 (NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER)
Many of you might remember this beautiful girl from one of my sunset portrait shoots on the beach back in April of this year. I fell in love with her look at that shoot and love her even more so now. Miss "M" was part of the trash the dress event as she wore her prom dress for the day. The blue of his dress really just radiates her beauty even that much more. It is a great color on her and goes wonderfully with her hair and skin tone.
Miss "M" is just a teenager but she has the maturity level of an adult. She too, climbed right into this swamp water for this shoot with no issues whatsoever. Brave girl. Very, very, brave.
Her look is one that is a force to be reckoned with. She looks like she should be on the cover of Vogue magazine or something. Stunning girl. Absolutely stunning!
There were three other young girls who participated in the prom event as well so I snapped this shot of the three of them while out in the water. The gal wearing the ivory dress is the one who ended up with the HUGE water spider on her dress while photographing a different image that day. Ewwwww! All three girls were beautiful and exuded total confidence while out in that murky water.
I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with miss "M" twice now and hope that one day our paths will cross yet again. Thank you to her and her family for allowing me to photograph her during this shoot. I had a ball! Another shout out to Michele Galuppo for the magnificent hair on miss "M" for this event. You can find Michele for your wedding style needs by going to her website HERE.
I'm off to lunch with a FAB girlfriend of mine here in Naples. Hoping everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend. Until part 6...
PART 4 - TRASH THE DRESS (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)
I'm slacking on getting my blog posts up for today. Bad Angie! I attended a PTO meeting at Brennen's school this morning with a neighbor/friend and then came home to edit some images from a sunset beach session I had last night with a beautiful young girl. (more to come on that later on) Aside from that, I've been trying to edit other sessions from my Indy trip in between these most recent ones and also keep up with my current beginner photography class that I'm teaching while planning for the next ones in October. It is a crazy busy time but I found myself thanking God for the busy schedule today. I am so blessed to have met so many new friends and new connections here in Naples. It is through those new friends and networking that my business has really picked up and is taking off. I am so thankful and appreciative for those willing to help spread my name and refer me to others. Word of mouth is the most important marketing tool in photography as far as I'm concerned. Therefore, those who are referring me to others they know are scoring some serious brownie points with ol' Angie here. LOL! I always knew Florida would be a great place to plant my photography business year round and that it would just take some time and patience. That patience is really paying off now. I realize that all of this - all of the new friends - all of the connections - all of the new and wonderful clients, etc. all have to do with God's hand. He had this planned well before I ever complied with Brent's decision to move here. It was all in the works already. I'm constantly finding myself thanking God for the blessings in my life that are so not deserved yet are bestowed upon us anyway.
With that said, I'm back to sharing part 4 of the Trash the Dress sessions with you guys. This is Mrs. V. Mrs. V's hair was done by the FAB Michele Galuppo again from Wedding styles by Michele. Her make-up was done by the great make-up artist, Nancy Joseph. These ladies are some serious dose of talent and can ROCK out the hair and make-up department like nobodies business.
A massive thank you to Mrs. V herself for allowing me the opportunity to work with her. She was another perfect bride during the shoot. I'll be continuing the posting in regard to the rest of the sessions over the coming days. I have two or three more to share just from this one event alone. Then...on to some sessions from this week including the beach session from last night which involved lots of different colored acrylic paint being squirted on our subject for the shots. Oh yes...stick around. Those shots are a must see as well! :0)
And last but not least, I've gotten several emails recently from many of you blog readers asking me how I'm feeling regarding my pregnancy. I can't thank you ladies enough for caring. So far everything is progressing as one could expect. I'm praying that God continues to allow this pregnancy to progress in an uneventful and very healthy manor. Other than feeling like Shamu, I'm doing good. The heat likes to give me a run for my money every now and again but I carry constant water on me - especially during my on location shoots here in Florida. Last night during my session, I ran out of water. (Yes, I drank all that I had brought with me up to that point) So...I made a quick call to Brent who was in the area with the kids. Him, Brennen, and Kenidi ran me some HUGE bottles of water over to my shoot on the beach along with a massive cup of ice. I was in heaven. It's amazing how much water can allow you to keep going when you feel like you might not be able to. Sitting down for a couple of minutes at a time helps as well. Thankfully the no-seeum bugs have left me alone and I've managed to avoid getting eaten alive while outdoors during the sessions. Thank goodness for the Avon skin so soft bug spray that I can use safely while preggo. Love that stuff! As for my weight gain, I'm keeping it down as well. I've gained a total of 12lbs thus far and am almost 7 months now. I'm totally OK with that amount and hope to continue to keep it low. I'm doing way better at this point than I did with Brennen and Kenidi. With Brennen I gained 60lbs. total and with Kenidi I gained 40lbs in total. Needless to say, I didn't need that kind of extra "fluff" with this pregnancy. Shame it took me three pregnancies to figure out that eating for two is really just a mental misconception. LOL! Although a great excuse to eat, I gave up that mind set this time around and am so thankful that I did. Praying the scales remain good to me as I enter this last trimester.
The next question on everyones mind is "Do we have a name yet?" No. Not really. Well...maybe. Ha ha! We are leaning toward one name in particular and it wasn't any of the options I originally posted here on the blog. So, if we go with it, it isn't one that you guys will have heard before. I'm keeping it tight lipped because I don't want anyone trying to sway my opinion of it at this point. If it works for us, I want to keep it that way without hearing why it reminds so and so of so and so or why they'll call him this if we name him that, etc. Thus why if we do decide to run with this particular name...it won't be shared until he is born. You guys know how much I love dragging out secrets and surprises here on the blog anyhow. Right? Soon. Very soon.
I'm off to get the kids in bed now and gear up for my train wreck of a show, Jersey Shore. I can't believe Brent and I watch this junk but we do. We aren't right. I realize that. There is something fun about being "not right" though. HA! Enjoy your night. Until tomorrow... Angie
