NEED AN EVENT PHOTOGRAPHED? (NAPLES, FLORIDA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER)
Do you have an event or function that you need photographed? A birthday party, a charity ball, a baptism, etc.? Ever had a want for a "photo booth" at your event? Well if so, hit me up. Not only do I specialize in family, children, maternity, seniors and engagement photography...
I also specialize in event photography as well. If you have a party or event of some kind that is quickly approaching and would like to have a photographer on hand to capture all of the "fun" and "candid" moments from the day/night, I'm your girl. :-)
Email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com with your photography needs. Details and pricing for my event photography sessions can be found on my website at http://www.angieseamanphotography.com/. I'd be honored to come shoot for your special party, charity, or function. Blessings, Angie
Making his 34 week debut...Baby Seaman at his finest. A full on face view looking straight at us. They don't get any better than that. This was the latest ultrasound photo from my 34 week OB appointment this morning. As usual, he was in there moving all around just as I feel him doing each day. His heartbeat was nice and strong and his size was measuring right at 34 weeks (which must have plateaued out because he is measuring right on target now rather then bigger than normal as he was at my last visit).
With 34 days to go, I had lots of questions for my OB this morning. It's amazing how much I've forgotten or just plane blocked out from my last two pregnancies. So much has changed since my delivery with Kenidi 7 years ago. The main thing I was concerned about was the fact that I am having to get a "spinal" with this c-section rather than an epidural as I had with both of my other c-sections. I've heard from some people that spinals are a bit scary because they numb you further up into your chest and down making it feel as though you can't breathe. I read somewhere where one gal literally couldn't swallow on her own so they were having to suction her mouth out for her during the process. That didn't sound fun to me. Therefore, I questioned the doc on why the spinal over the epidural. She assured me it was just a deeper and quicker working anesthesia. She said it wears off faster and just makes more sense for c-sections now days. I asked her about the horrific spinal headaches I hear about after having spinals done and she said they are rare but if that happens, they do a patch on the area and correct it so that the headache subsides. I just know I don't want to be laying down flat for 8 hours following my delivery. I also let her know that I don't handle pain medication and/or nausea medication very well. I hate feeling groggy and doped up - resulting in me sleeping off and on the whole first day following the c-section. Then, I don't like the medication that they give me for nausea either. Most times it never works and I end up dry heaving over a bed pan while holding the 500 stitches across my abdomen taunt and safe with a pillow because it's so painful to get sick after a Cesarean. The first day after my c-sections are never fun. Truthfully, the first day just downright sucks. When you want to be visiting with your family and friends (visitors in the room) as well as cuddling with your newborn, I can't because I'm either puking or sleeping. It drives me crazy! I'm praying the OB gets the combination of meds right and that I can enjoy this process more than the last two. And she said if all goes well, I should be up and walking about 8-12 hours after the surgery and also able to take a shower with help the very next morning. Keep your fingers crossed for me that all of this stands true. I'm swollen up - more than I'd prefer and my blood pressure was a tinge high when they took it today. No signs of pre-eclampsia though - just the typical "end of the road" pregnancy symptoms. They told me to watch my blood pressure at home and call them right away if it got any worse. I truly believe it was just a bit high because I had to run to keep up with the nurse that walked me all the way back to the OB room from the ultrasound room. Like my husband, she walked at the pace of a marathon and I was really huffing and puffing by the time I got to the room and she took my blood pressure. I knew it was going to be high because I could feel my heart beating out of my chest while she was taking the reading. She took it twice and it had come down to 132/80 the 2nd time so it was definitely calming down the longer I sat there and caught my breath. I have a blood pressure cuff here at home though and will be monitoring it closely in the coming days. My OB didn't seem concerned in the least.
Oh and guess what...Baby Seaman decided he would try to cooperate and has now turned head down and ready to go. No more transverse or sideways laying kiddo. YAY! Although this makes no difference because I'm having a c-section anyway, it still helps me comfort wise and takes a bit of the pain away now that he is where he should be. I asked the OB what would happen if my water broke and I happened to go into labor before my December 2nd c-section date. I curiously questioned her on whether she'd still do a c-section in that case or whether we could try and go for a VBAC. No chance. C-section it is - no matter when I go into labor. BLAH!
The really cool news is that I am now on weekly visits to the OB and I also found out that I'll be getting a weekly ultrasound each time I go all the way up until delivery day. How crazy is that. This heart stuff with me has really caused them to keep a close eye on the pregnancy thus resulting in lots and lots of ultrasounds which makes me a happy girl. I love seeing that little man on the screen - even if he is kicking at my belly button which in turn makes me feel like I could go thru the roof. Belly buttons are sensitive anyway - let alone when your skin is beyond stretched out and he is in there tap tap tappin' away.
Well, I'm off to go edit some images from the family beach session I did in Bonita Springs last night. Praying the ugly black snake that was hiding and waiting for us in the sea oats on the beach isn't showing his sneaky serpent face in any of the images. Guess that is why we should follow instructions and stay out of the sea oats, eh? That works for me. Seeing him in there pretty much cured me of trampling thru those from here on out. And yes, if I could have gotten my car on the beach, I would have run him over - fo' sho'! Unfortunately that wasn't an option though. Aside from the family session, I have some awesome shots to share with you guys from the senior sessions I did this past weekend. I hope to get those up and posted real soon too. I had a blast during that senior shoot out and couldn't be more thrilled with the images that came from it all. Hope all of you are having a wonderful hump day. Enjoy your evening. XOXO, Ang
Last night we hit the beach. Just Brennen and I. I love those one on one moments I get to spend with him. They are far too rare these days. I took him to run some photography errands with me this weekend and then we stopped off at an impromptu dinner at Chili's. I love how he opens up to me when it is just the two of us. Not to mention the chocolate molten cakes for dessert that get us both pinging off the walls. :)
I took these shots of him while we were at the beach last night and I can never get enough of his eyes and eye lashes. Those things are lady killa's. No joke! They are the window to his soul and just so happen to be gorgeous all at the same time. When I posted this photo of him on facebook, a friend wrote and said "WOW! He looks like a little James Dean here." I hadn't noticed it but now that she said it, he does. Of course when I told him that, he had no idea who in the world James Dean was. I tried explaining that he was the "Robert Pattinson" back in the day. That helped a bit I believe. LOL! However, I went googling old vintage photos of James Dean and stumbled upon this one that has always been one of my favorite ones...
He is one handsome young man if I do say so myself. He is also one very excited big brother whom is counting down the days until his baby brother finally arrives. Brennen has begged and pleaded for a baby brother since he was at least 5. It's been a long time want of his and it's finally coming true. He is so excited that he keeps a countdown tracker on his iphone with how many days we have remaining until baby Seaman's birth. As of today...we have 35 days exactly. Five weeks to go. Thirty five more sunsets until life changes drastically for us yet again.
When I look over these images, it's hard to imagine that one day soon he'll have a little brother to frolick in the sand with and teach how to surf/boogie board in these beautiful Florida waves. One day soon I'll be taking photos of not only Brennen and Kenidi but of a new little guy together with them as well here on the white, sandy, shores of Naples.
In the meantime though, I'm going to relish in these one on one moments with Brennen like the dinner out this weekend, the photos at the beach last night, the funny times in the Halloween store as we shop for his little sister a costume and the life size "Jason" from Friday the 13th scares him to death. Again, he had no idea who "Jason" was. Friday the 13th, "Freddy" from nightmare on Elmstreet and the "pinned head" Hellraiser dude were all long before Brennen's time. It's just one more confirmation that I'm getting old. Really old.
Brennen is actually helping me out with a photo shoot this evening on the beach. I have a scheduled client/family that I'm doing a beach session for in Bonita Springs tonight. We'll be back on the beach together again - only this time - he is my helper - positioning reflectors and such where I might need them. The boy has an eye for photography. He really does. He impresses me when on shoots together because he sees things and opportunities that even I have yet to see. I love his extremely creative mind. He has always been that way too. Creative with everything. This morning, after getting his little sister on the bus, we hopped in the car early and headed down to Starbucks together. We had breakfast there, jammed to a little bit of "Bruno Mars" tunes and then I drove him to school. It's mornings like this that I enjoy so very much. I'm thankful that he comments on how he likes doing it as well. In a few short years he'll have his own car and be driving his own self to school. Those early morning breakfast dates out with my handsome son will be non-existent. For that reason, I'm soaking them up like a sponge in the sea. I'm treasuring those little dates just like I do the gorgeous Florida sunsets. You can never have too many. You will never tire of them - no matter how many times you've been present within their beauty...
Thanks to my stud of a son for entertaining me with his presence this past week. I love you dearly...with all my heart...to the moon...to the sun...and back.
For two years, I have prayed and prayed that Kenidi would become potty trained. Given her special needs, we've been warned that she might not have the muscle control to handle pottying as a normal child should. Brent and I knew better. For two years she has given us glimpses of hope that she completely understood the process and what it was. However, for two years she has continued to need pull ups and even thicker diapers for night time hours because she refused to go on the potty. At the end of kindergarten, her teacher (Mrs. Alison) had her going on the potty but by the end of the school year, she became spooked by the toilet and totally quit going on it. It took us at least 8 months before she would even consider sitting down on it again.
For two years we've tried bribing her with candy, books, DVD's and even tried helpful tools such as the "potty watch" to try and have her make the connection. In turn though, she has had zero desire to get out of those diapers and had continued to remain quite comfy in them from what I could tell. At the beginning of the school year, Kenidi's now teacher asked me what our main goal was for her this year. I expressed to her how badly I wanted her potty trained. I told her it was hard for us to work with her at home for 4 hours a night to then go to school and wear diapers all day while there. I told the teacher - well really begged the teacher - for help. I asked them to work with us - for Kenidi's sake - while she was in their care. Her teacher told me this was a request of most all the special needs parents in the class this year and so therefore they would really be focusing on this while in class. I was hopeful but in all honesty had heard this from her last two teachers so I didn't hold my breath. All I knew was that I had a newborn on the way and the thought of having them both in diapers together was draining. My goal was to get Kenidi potty trained one way or another so that I had just the one baby in diapers - as he should be.
Fast forward to the past couple of weeks. Low and behold, Kenidi's teacher has been sending home notes with her progress on the potty situation. She had noted that Kenidi would go here and there on the potty - not consistently but she WAS going. This was HUGE considering how at home she still refused to sit on the potty for me. Ironically we had a conference with Kenidi's teacher yesterday morning. She had emailed me asking if I wanted to come in and talk with her before the baby was born in the next few weeks because she had some ideas to help us transition Kenidi for her new lil' brothers arrival. Brent and I were all about it. We know we are going to need all the help we can get preparing Kenidi for this newborn that is fixing to take over her throne. LOL! We met with the teacher - whom we LOVE by the way - and she had some brilliant ideas to help us transition Kenidi with not only the new baby but with other things that typically cause her melt downs as well. For example, leaving places that she doesn't want to leave. (i.e., the beach, the rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel, the carousel at the mall, etc.) Her teacher was a wealth of info for us and we couldn't have been more pleased with the meeting. She explained to us that Kenidi was the most advanced in her class and that she was a highly intelligent child who is just trapped inside a body that can't fully verbalize via speech yet. She said that she was confident if we could get her talking more that it would rid away some of the behavior/melt down issues. We totally agree! We can't wait to try out some of the new ideas she gave us when leaving places that Kenidi isn't ready to exit yet. While there though, I expressed to the teacher how puzzled I was that Kenidi was going to the potty at school intermittently but that she wouldn't go on it here at home. Que the "pee pee dance." It was at that moment that her awesome and totally RAD teacher stood up and began to do a dance and sing the words to a song titled the "pee pee dance." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was hysterical. Here she was - this 50 something year old woman showing dancing and singing in front of two grown adult parents to the theme of peeing in a toilet. She explained that when Kenidi goes potty at school, they bring her out of the restroom and the whole class then celebrates with her by singing and doing the pee pee dance together. As most of you know, Kenidi has mad skillz' in the dance department. The child can move and groove like no one I've ever seen. Even her teacher yesterday commented on how well she can "move." LOL! Therefore, her reward of getting to do the pee pee dance has clearly left a lasting impression on her.
Yesterday, following our conference with her teacher in the morning, she came home with a note from school stating that she had stayed dry all day long and for the first day ever - pottyed on the potty every single time with success. I was thrilled. I was so thrilled that I said to myself..."SELF...this is it. Today is the day. Today is the day that we are going to run with this potty training thing and make it stick. So we did. Kenidi got home from school - still dry - so I took her to the potty. When I asked her if she wanted to go potty, she told me no. But when I told her we'd do the pee pee dance if she went on the potty for me, her eyes lit up and she marched right in there on her own. Needless to say, she went potty on the potty immediately. We danced around that bathroom, high fived, shook our hips, gave two thumbs up, and literally screamed with excitement. I don't know who was more excited - me or her. (or baby Seaman in my tummy) I then proceeded to take her diaper off and put some big girl panties on her. Hanna Montana ones with guitars on them - because she LOVES guitars. In a nutshell, she stayed dry the rest of the evening going on the potty a total of 6 times before she went to bed at 9pm. She then proceeded to stay dry thru the night - woke up this morning and willfully went back to the toilet and pottyed again. We were yet again doing the pee pee dance at a bright and early 7am in our house this morning.
I proceeded to email her teacher with the good news this morning and told her that I'd owe her my "life" if this success stuck with Kenidi and it ultimately meant we were well on our way to being potty trained. I worried all day today about how she was doing and if she was still dry after all this time. I couldn't wait to get her home, rip open her backpack and read the daily notes from her teacher in regards to how she did.
She rolled off the bus at 3pm today - backpack in hand - and I literally drug her into the house so I could get inside it and see what it said.
And this my friends, is what the teacher wrote to me today...
Since she has been home, she has been in big girl panties and pottyed twice on the potty. I'm like a crazed lunatic right now. I've got the pee pee dance memorized so well in my head at this point that I find myself getting ready to stand up and do the dance after I pee even. No, it isn't a pretty sight - however - the pee pee dance is working. If someone had video taped Brent and I in the past 24 hours doing the pee pee dance with Kenidi, you guys would all vote to send us to the looney bin at this point. We look like complete idiots but Kenidi loves it. She never wanted candy, toys, books, etc. for pottying...she just wanted to dance. That is the only reward that has stuck with her and one that she continues to sign that she wants "more" of.
Of course it is still too early to make any promises but right now...this house is rockin' out to the pee pee dance and will continue to do so if that is what it takes to successfully potty train this beautiful little girl of ours. Stay tuned... this story is to be continued. In the meantime, please pray to the heavens that Jesus allows this to be the end of a very long and painful 7 year journey for not only Kenidi but for us as her parents as well. We've known all along that she was smart enough to do this and that she had the muscle control to compensate for it even though she suffers from low muscle tone (hypotonia).
I had the honor of photographing a family of five here last night. This is "The Estuary Country Club" here in Naples. It was our backdrop for this particular photo session. I couldn't have been more excited and more pleased with the look of this setting. There were so many different nooks and crannies to explore and use for photography backgrounds. I loved it. And did I mention that it turned out to be a spectacular evening with an absolutely stunning sunset. You know that kind of sunset that is nothing short of one big humongous large round ball of pink and orange fire??? Yeap, that kind of sunset. It was phenomenal.
This is actually a golf course and I had to fight my way to these pictures at the end of this session because I was standing on the 18th hole and some golfers really wanted to hit their balls. In fact, I'm sure that they were probably aiming for me if truth be told but I managed to get off the course without getting nailed by an oncoming golf ball. I refused to leave there without a shot of this club as the sun was approaching its "cotton candy" sky appearance. I had visions of the grounds keeper and security guards having to carry me off the course kicking and screaming if I didn't accomplish what I wanted. :) The family I photographed was perfect in every way and was a true pleasure to work with. I'll have their images up on my photography blog in the coming days. Feel free to check out that blog from week to week as I'm always posting recent sessions there. I've decided not to post the sessions here on my AGD blog and instead keep both businesses/blogs separate. It's just easier that way.
And speaking of photography, I snapped these candid shots of Kenidi yesterday as she was getting out of bed. Her new permanent teeth are coming in and they just crack me up. They look so big compared to her baby teeth. I was trying to capture her smile and those new "teefers!" And who doesn't love such cute little pale white tootsies??? I am in love with her little toes. Still so tiny and scrawny. :0)
The week ahead is going to be a busy one. I have two shoots lined up for the local magazine here in Naples again this week. I am also shooting for Kenidi's horse therapy facility tomorrow morning. On Wednesday morning, Brent and I are meeting with Kenidi's teacher to discuss some ideas on how to make her transition a bit easier for when baby Seaman arrives. Her teacher has some ideas and has offered to share those with us in hopes that it will cushion the blow a bit when Kenidi learns this new baby is REALLY coming home to live with us - FOR GOOD. LOL! We think she might be acting out here in the last week or two due to the hustle and bustle as we prepare the house and our lives in general for this new baby. I'm sure she is sensing my anxiety and stress over the future with her AND a newborn under the same roof. Therefore it's probably playing out in her behavior now so more than ever. To say this is going to be interesting is an understatement.
On Friday evening we have dinner plans with friends and on Saturday, you will find me pinging off the walls with excitement. My Naples photography friends and myself are all participating in a Senior High shoot out where we'll be photographing seniors (in high school) on Saturday afternoon and on into the sunset that night. We have a really cool location lined up where we will be shooting. I can't wait to share the event itself and all of the images from it with each of you. So fun!
I hope each of you are having a wonderful start to the week. Stay tuned for lots more to come as this week rounds out. Much love, Angie
PS...To my "anonymous friend" from Scarborough, Ontario...
You might try Googling the word "sitemeter." It's a really cool web tracking feature that technology has blessed us with today which happens to be great for website and blog owners such as myself. It helps to ensure that "anonymous" people do not remain so "anonymous" for long. Oh yes...IP addresses get revealed, locations of those anonymous wanna-be's and sooooooo much more. Technology is a FABULOUS thing. It's so fabulous that it allows me to see your ever so frequent visits to my blog and your curiosity into my life. Not only that, but it allows me to know who you are when you attempt to post anonymous things on my blog. Have a superb evening my friend. Wink wink! :)
In the past 2 weeks, I've had three different women comment to me - out of the blue - "How great my ankles look for being this far along." Wellllll...aren't they just sweet as suga'! I didn't even know women checked out pregnant women's ankles. Did you guys? Unless someone points it out to me, I'd never think to look. With us being in Florida, I wear dresses almost every day just to keep from getting over-heated. I guess my ankles are quite visible due to my legs being exposed. Problem is...I soooooooo don't feel like my ankles look great for this stage in the game. In fact, when I walk thru the house during the day or night, I envision this theatrical sound of what King Kong sounded like as he stomped thru NYC in that movie and trampled the entire town - crushing buildings and cars with one step of his foot. Yeap, that's me - that is my third trimester. With 6 weeks and 6 days to go, I am totally shamu with feet. No joke. I moan and groan with every movement made to the point where I'm sure it appears to an outsider as though I'm dying. And when I switch sides in bed at night...God for bid you have to hear what kind of noise and process that takes. We are talking action-adventure soundtrack. You think I'm kidding - but I swear I'm not. I don't know that our big king size bed can handle my big king sized butt much longer.
The other night, Brent was laying beside me with his hand underneath my belly. (I was laying on my right side. Baby Seaman was kicking up a storm and rolling over like nobody's bin-ness'. Brent wanted to feel him and in doing so, he got the shock of his life. At two different points he belted out..."Oh My Gosh!!! Oh My Gosh!!!" He couldn't believe how prominent the kicks were and just how powerful the lil' man was inside there. He's like..."That is almost like an alien trying to get out from inside there." At that moment, I was reminded of Sigorney Weaver in the movie "Alien."
Oh yeah...that is totally what this child looks and feels like when he gets to rockin' and rolling in my tummy. I was cracking up at Brent and his shock over how powerful he was. He asked me if I remembered Brennen and Kenidi being that strong when I was pregnant with them and yes...I do. This baby is no different.
Not only have I definitely hit the uncomfortable stage but I've also definitely reached that hormonal stage now too. The other day I was walking thru a restaurant wearing a shirt that read "Rockin' my bump." As I was headed to the restroom, I passed by a table with about 5 women sitting at it - they were maybe early 30's in age. One of them proceeded to read my shirt allowed with a very condescending tone. I heard her say..."Rockin' my bump???" You could tell she said it to be a smart ___ but didn't in turn realize just how loud it rolled off her tongue. She clearly never intended for me to hear her. However, I did. It was in that moment that the ol' Angie DeNease came back inside me. I refer to my younger era as Angie DeNease - the days of high school when I was considered body guards for all of my girlfriends. Angie DeNease was the girl that took no crap from anyone and if you so much as looked at me wrong or dared date a boyfriend I once had - you were screwed. Yes, that was "Angie DeNease." I'm soooo not proud of that girl. In fact, I'm extremely embarassed by her. My temper back then stemmed from the genes that my mother passed down to me. My Mom was the chick you didn't mess with when she was younger too. I have vivid memories of my Mother in street fights where my Dad would have to pick me up, put me on his shoulders, and walk away to get me away from the action and what I was witnessing. It wasn't a pretty sight but that was life up until I was maybe 8 years old or so. In fact, my Mom STILL carries that gene and it has caused her some embarassment in her day as well. I have haunting memories of being 7 years old and getting thrown into a thorn bush by an older girl during a fight outside in the neighborhood I lived in with my Mom. When I got home to my Mom, looking for comfort as I poured blood from every square inch of my body from the thorns that were now embedded in my skin...instead of comforting me, she took one look at me, grabbed my hand, slammed open the front door and marched me right back down the street to the girl who did it. Needless to say, I lost the first round with the thorn bush but didn't loose the 2nd round as my Mom stood there almost as if she was ringing a bell in a fighting ring. She wanted me to let this older girl know who she was really messing with. From that day forward, I was taught to never, ever let anyone see fear in me. Never ever let anyone whoop my skinny scrawny little butt and to never be afraid to defend myself when necessary. Truth is...that life lesson created more of a bully in me than teach me anything of worth. I have found myself apologizing to many, many girls that I tortured in high school due to my behavior back then. In fact, that behavior today would land me in kicked out of school and probably in juvenile with the way bullying and fighting is no longer tolerated in schools. Am I glad that my Mom taught me to fend for myself and never be afraid of anyone? Yes. However, that lesson was taught the wrong way in my opinion. No worries...my Mom knows how I feel about all this now. Rarely do I ever feel that temperament come out in me like it used to back in my younger days. Thankfully I've grown up, matured, learned the value of forgiving, and tried to steer as far away from that genetic temperament trait as possible. And needless to say, my kids are being taught differently. Wayyyy differently. LOL! Anyway, as I was saying...I rarely sense that "Angie DeNease" (my maiden name by the way), come out in me like that anymore. But when the girl at the restaurant loudly expressed her need to make fun of my shirt that I was wearing the other night, she almost got a quick glimpse of the old Angie. I told my Mom - when talking to her about the ordeal later - that I hadn't felt that feeling in years. This chicks condescending tone stopped me dead in my tracks - right in front of her table - with her and her 4 other compadres' awaiting and watching my next move. Naturally, my stopping on a dime and the look I proceeded to deliver to her after she made her comment caused her sudden grave concern. She immediately knew the damage she had done and by the look on her face, she needed to come join me in the restroom to clean herself off. When all was said and done, she looked at me and every so nicely said..."Oh I'm sorry - I was just reading your shirt." Uh yeah...sure you were! I don't know if she thought she was safe because a pregnant woman would most likely not "throw down" with her or what. Truth be told...she should reconsider before ever getting ready to make fun of an 8 month pregnant woman given our raging hormones at this stage in the game. I calmly regrouped and gathered my composure again and then began placing one foot in front of the other as I headed back on my way to the restroom. I had to laugh because I can only imagine what kind of psycho I must have looked like to each of those girls. I mean come on...there were 5 of them and only one of me. They could have easily jumped me and whooped my butt without a second thought. But at that moment, the old "Angie DeNease" in me didn't even think that far. All of a sudden...I was 7 years old again and a pit bull on a leash getting ready to be turned loose on someone who had taunted me and poked at me to the point of no return. Amazing how childhood memories stick with you even all these years later.
So...in a nutshell...you know you are in the third trimester when you're ready to knife someone for even looking at you the wrong way. It wasn't one of my proudest adult moments in life and was one that I had to repent about later. (once my nerves had settled back down and I realized just how hormonal I was at that particular moment) I guarantee you that the woman who crossed my path with her condescending tone will think twice though before she ever goes to mock a pregnant chick again. And when I came back out of the restroom and had to pass their table to get to mine, I noticed that low and behold...every single one of them had left. Gone. Just like they had seen a ghost or something.
On another note, at my OB check up this week, I got medicine for the heartburn and I'm so proud to say that my pain and issues surrounding heartburn are totally gone. This prescription is working like a charm. It took about a day to get into my system and begin working but now that it is...I'm in total heaven. They gave me a medicine called protonix. It's safe during pregnancy and it makes me a happy girl again. I go back to the doc on the 27th where we will get to see our little guy on the ultrasound screen yet again. That also makes me a happy girl. I started putting some things in my hospital bag and in baby Seaman's diaper bag last night. I figured now was a good time to get that process started. As I was packing for the two of us and our hospital stay, the butterflies started again and the whole process was ever so surreal. Six weeks and six days.
Even with only 6.5 weeks to go though, with the way I feel at this moment, I'm totally ready to tell my OB that it's time to "smoke this little guy out of his hole" as if he were a mole or ground hog running rampant thru my yard. Let's get this show on the road. :0)
This was the view out the roof of my car yesterday afternoon. As many of you know, I love the white clouds against a brilliant blue backdrop in the sky. It helps when the suns rays are peeking thru and beaming down as well. Makes for great sun flare shots in the photography world. :) I snapped this shot with my iphone as I was parked in a parking lot. It was too gorgeous out not to. Love me some sky scapes.
Today I spent lunch at the Turtle Club restaurant on the beach with my Mom. We celebrated her birthday which was yesterday. It was another gorgeous day and we had an absolutely stellar view. The food was great and the ambiance/environment of overlooking the shore line made it all even better. My Mom even commented on how she felt like we were on vacation while there. Brent always says that we live in "paradise" everyday. Being by the ocean over lunch confirmed that feeling once again. Hope you enjoyed your day Mom. :)
The above shot was our view and my lunch - the "Crabcake Toastie." YUM! YUM! YUM!
On to another subject...baby Seaman. Imagine that, eh? With only 7 weeks to go until his arrival, I was elated to see his personalized baby name blanket show up in the mailbox today. I took a photo of the blanket and cropped out a small area so that the whole name wasn't visible. I figured I'd keep you guys in suspense until his birth day in regards to what his name is going to be. Y'all know how much I love to drag out surprises. LOL! Hopefully his name will be one that not too many of you have heard of before. The front of the blanket has his name on it and the backside is made of minky dot fabric. It's so very soft. I can't wait to wrap him in it.
With that said, I've had a recent request to blog about some of the cool or cute things I've found for him. There are only a few because gosh knows...there isn't near as many cute things for boys as there are girls. However, I do have a few favorite finds fo' sho'. I hope to be able to pull together a blog post featuring them here very soon. In the meantime, I am so thankful for my readers who continue to send me cute things or rad websites that have cool things for little boys. If you happen to see something that you think I should know about or that you think I'd like for baby Seaman, by all means...send me the link. I need all the help I can get after dressing a girl for the past 7 years and an older boy.
Right now, I'm off to get my sons hair cut. He is beginning to look like that Monchicchi monkey picture I posted last time. Hope all of you are having a fantastic Tuesday. Tomorrow it's off to my 32 week check up at the OB again. These appointments are flying by. He is going to be here in mere weeks. Something to the tune of 45 more days or so. WOW!
No. This isn't me. However, I've felt like walking around with a sign like that over my face in the past few days. All I know is that when this baby comes out of me in the next 7.5 weeks, he had best have a head full of hair that resembles the old monchhichi monkey dolls. No joke!
When the doctor pulls this son of mine out of my stomach during the c-section, I fully expect her to say "WOW! This kid has a head full of hair!" Kenidi caused me heartburn and came out with a head full of it but she didn't cause me near the discomfort that this kid is causing me. I swear I'm ready for hair to start growing up and out of my esophagus due to how much pain I'm in.
Yes, I've tried Tums. In fact, I eat them like they are candy only to have the heartburn come back 5 minutes later. It hurts to drink, it hurts to eat, it hurts to lay down, etc. etc. etc. I can even drink water and it causes intense heartburn. I can't win! I've decided today that I'm calling my OB on Monday morning and plan to beg her for some sort of relief. I've never in all my life felt such discomfort. It's insane. So...God help us if this child comes out bald after all I've put up with in the heartburn department. He had better have so much hair that he needs an immediate hair cut. I mean it. Maybe it will be so long that dreadlocks will have formed by then. Yeah, yeah, a Rastafarian baby. Reggae bound. Bring on Bob Marley's look alike. Just give me something to be able to say..."Oh OK...that's why I went thru all of this pain and torture." :) I'm approaching my 32nd week this week. I told my neighbor this morning over breakfast that I just have this really weird feeling that I'm not going to make it to December 2nd. It might be anxiety because I know my parents are so far away and when I go into labor, they still have to rearrange their schedules and hop a plane to reach me. I'm sure a lot of the anxiousness is coming from worry over all that. With Brennen, my water broke on the day of my scheduled c-section. I was 39 weeks exactly. I was lying in bed, unable to sleep at 3am and BAM! I felt a pop or a slight bubble and then it was all over with from there. The c-section was scheduled for earlier in the day than planned and he arrived at 8:53am that morning. With Kenidi, I never had any signs of going into labor. In fact, when I had my c-section with her at 39 weeks, she was still tucked nice and tightly in there with no plans of making an appearance anytime soon. But with this baby, I just don't feel like I'm going to make it to that 39th week - to my December 2nd c-section date. He might prove me wrong but something tells me this one is going to be different. We'll see what God has planned I guess. I'm praying that I'm wrong and that this is all just anxiety setting in over my parents living in another state than me now.
On another note, so sorry to have been a major blog slacker this week. I had a big shoot on Tuesday for a breast cancer charity event here in Florida. After shooting on my feet for three straight hours, I got home to an aching back that night and feet/ankles/legs that were severely paying for my stupidity. The hubs gave me a great foot massage to help make up for the pain but in the end, I knew better than to do such a thing at almost 8 months pregnant. In the end though, I had a great time at the event, shot lots of fun people, and met some great new friends. It was all so very worth it. :) Since then, I've been trying to get caught up on editing and house work. My laundry pile looks like Mount St. Helens erupted in here right now. I have a family shoot on the beach tomorrow night which I'm looking forward to and then we are celebrating my Moms birthday at some point this weekend as well. The weather here in Southwest Florida is nothing short of spectacular right now. The muggy humid air finally gave way to the Fall temps and it's a pleasant 83-88 degrees each day with a wonderful gulf breeze coming in off the ocean. The palm trees that pepper my every view sway with ease against that gorgeous blue backdrop of a sky and the whole atmosphere makes my days all that much better - even with the incubating of this monchhichi wanna-be baby. (a.k.a - severe heartburn) Like my friend mentioned today, I'm glad I'm 8 months pregnant in this weather rather than in say the heat of July. WHEW! Don't know that I could have adjusted to that.
Hoping everyone has a spectacular weekend. Until Monday, be safe and have fun. Much love, Angie
PS...I've had many emails recently regarding my schedule for the holidays. Yes, my plan is to keep taking sessions all the way up until the end of November or until my big, fat, shamu, butt, can't get up and down anymore. Therefore, if you are heading South for any of the holidays (thru Thanksgiving) and would like to book a photography session with me, feel free to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. I'll be taking a few weeks off after the little man arrives but should be back to my normal schedule by early to mid January. I'm truly looking forward to photographing your families as you come down this way for a vacation in the next two months. And for those of you who've already scheduled with me, well you'll get to see a real life "beached whale" in action during our session together. LOL!
It's been a long time since I've shared any new "favorite finds" with all of you. I get tons of emails asking why I don't do the favorite finds feature anymore and to be honest...it just boils down to time. I haven't had much time to devote to blogging like I used to let alone to devote topic specific posts each week. However, this new favorite find of mine is too good to not share. As many of you know, we have a 7 year old special needs daughter who has yet to be fully potty trained. Therefore, she is still in pull ups. I send Kenidi to school in a dress or skirt almost every single day. Because she is unable to understand how a little girl should sit properly when in a dress or skirt, we like to put some kind of shorts on her to keep her diaper area covered. Not only does it look better but it also protects her dignity around other school children who might not understand why Kenidi is still wearing a diaper at her age. Up until now, we used to look for cheap shorts from Target or something to stick under the dresses. I was always frustrated because I couldn't find every color to match the attire she had on that particular day and I disliked how the shorts were thick and bulky under her pretty little skirts and dresses. Well low and behold, we found the solution. An awesome one at that!
Que "Monkey bar buddies." Monkey bar buddies are a silky tight fitting pair of shorts that come in every color in the rainbow and fit nicely under each dress or skirt. Kenidi can run, play, jump, swing, etc. with these on and they never cause any discomfort or bulkiness. They are so soft and comfortable that I wish I could have a few pairs of my own in adult sizes to scoot around the house in. Not only does the monkey bar buddies company make shorts for sizes 2T-10 but they also make leggings to go under the garments our girls are wearing now days as well as baby buddy diaper covers which are made out of that same comfortable material. Any of these items are great for not only playground situations but also for girls dance classes, sporting practices, etc. We just love this new find in our house. Brent even thought they were so great that he sent me back to the boutique where we initially found them and had me get each color we needed for her. As a Dad, this puts his mind at ease when it comes to privacy for his little girl.
Each pair of monkey bar buddy shorts has little coordinating bows sewn to each side of the leg. It's just another added touch that make them that much more cute although still very easy and simplistic. The color choices are endless. There are 10 different colors to choose from as well as approximately 3 patterned versions too.
Visit the Monkey Bar Buddies website for more details or to search for a retailer near you. If you live in the Naples, Florida area...I know that Gigi's children's boutique carries them. If they don't have your size in stock, just talk with Kristy or Cherae about ordering them in the sizes you need. They are great store to work with and have a phenomenal staff. :)
Looking to learn how to use your camera better? Want to learn how to take better photographs of your kids? Do you want to get off the little green "auto mode" on your camera and learn how to shoot in manual instead? Does learning how to get those creamy/buttery/blurred backgrounds like the pros interest you? If so, look no further. I'm once again offering the next round of photography classes via Angie Seaman Photography. This is just a reminder that the next class begins October 4th, 2010. Registration is still open with a spots remaining. If you are interested in taking a beginner photography class that teaches you the basics of beginner photography, how to better use your camera and its settings, etc., then this class is for you.
The course is done online. There are no specific times each day that you must check in for class. You'll be given private access to a forum/discussion board where you can log in at any time throughout the day - as much or as little as you'd like. You make your own schedule. Some people check in everyday, others just check in a couple of times of week. We have one lesson a week that is posted on a certain day. Once posted, you are then given an assignment to do which pertains to that weeks lesson and what we've learned thus far. All questions and notes will be posted on the forum for everyone to read so that we all learn together. It's a very laid back atmosphere with zero pressure. You can participate as much or as little as you prefer. Of course the more you participate in the class, the more you learn. You have one week to turn in each assignment. I then "constructively critique" your assignment and let you know how great the shot is and/or how you can improve for next time. I'm on the board/forum everyday so I'm always there when someone has questions or needs additional help. As for what I'll discuss or teach during the 4 week class, here is a list of just some of the topics that we'll learn:
1) Getting tight and close with your images 2) Uncluttering a photograph 3) Framing your images in camera 4) Composition (rule of thirds) when shooting 5) ISO 6) White Balance 7) Changing up your angles 8) Aperture Priority Mode 9) Avoiding and forcing the flash 10) Your cameras highlight warning & what it means 11) Learning your histogram 12) Exposure compensation 13) What is burst/continuous mode? 14) Shutter Priority mode 15) Getting those soft creamy/blurry backgrounds like the pros
16) Graduating to "manual mode."
...and many other topics along the way.
Here are just a few of the comments and feedback I've received from past classes:
"This class has been amazing! I used to consider manual settings as impossible and scary but now that's my 'go to mode' and my camera is constantly set on it! All of a sudden my camera can do so much more than I ever realized it could... and that's all thanks to Angie! She is an incredible teacher, she's so encouraging and was willing to help whenever I had questions. I am so much more confident when using my camera now, and I finally know what all the numbers mean! I can't recommend this class enough, it's SO worth it!" ~Caroline
"Simply stated, this class was priceless. Angie has a unique way of explaining photography terms in everyday language that is easily understood. She is open and honest in the way she approaches photography. And she is encouraging and extremely "hands on" through out the entire class. The class forum is unlike any other I've ever been apart of. It's simple and easy to use. Angie invites questions of all sorts and answers them completely for each student. Angie Seaman is very gifted and artistic. She loves art, she loves life, and she loves sharing with the world through her pictures. Above all else, I've learned that "beauty is in the eye of she who holds the camera!!" ~Amanda in Texas
"This class ROCKS, as Angie would say!!! I have a Nikon D60, and have for the last year, I learned more about the options/menus of my camera in the first week, than the entire time i owned it!! I was able to tackle things, that I would have not tried, and really enjoyed it!! Angie is a great teacher, she is easy to communicate with and speaks in "human" terms, when it comes to teaching.. I was very happy taking this class, it is has been a great experience and very rewarding!! I am even more addicted to my camera than I was before, and I actually know how to use it, now!! Haha!" ~Christina in California
"Angie Seaman really knows her photography! She is a passionate teacher who is able to connect with all of her students. The forum is well organized and easy to use. I highly recommend taking this class. It is truly a gift that I have given myself. I encourage you to give yourself the same gift and sign-up for Angie's photography class! You are an amazing teacher and I love how you take complicated topics and turn it into manageable chunks for beginners to understand. I enjoy reading your writing and your personal photography is beautiful. I love how this class was organized as well. You can tell that you put a lot of time and effort into this class. Thank you very much! I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone. Plus, I can't wait to take other classes that you offer. I will continue to be a loyal reader of your blog and I am always available to give feedback to potential clients or customers." ~Bernie in Maryland
"I don't know if I can sum up how wonderful this class was in only a few sentences...I'll try. This photography class was hands down amazing! I was a little hesitant to sign-up for an online class thinking, how much can I really learn through the Internet?, but I totally proved myself wrong with how much I have walked away with. Before I was terrified of every button on my DSLR and now with Angie's stellar lessons and consistent feedback I feel more confident in capturing our life's important moments. Thanks again Angie...please keep me on your e-mail list if you should do a next level up class (okay you have to do another...no pressure)." ~Meg in Texas
"I am a busy mom of four kids. My lack of knowledge with my camera prevented me from trying anything other than point and shoot situations. Time is of the essence and I also needed someone I could trust to show me the ropes (not someone trying to sell me products or with their own "spin"). Enter Angie Seaman photography classes! Through Angie's class I learned what makes a photograph great, how to read all the settings on my camera (this was BIG for me) and it also took the intimidation out the huge manual for my camera. This class is easy to understand and simple to follow. I recommend to anyone wanting to sharpen their photography skills in a short amount of time. Thanks Angie!" ~Kristin
If you are ready for a basic, beginner, photography class...go HERE to sign up. From there, you can walk thru the registration process. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. Don't wait...only two days left to register. We'd love to have you join us. Blessings, Angie
(Foyer/Entry room as you come in front door. The slider doors allow the option of bringing the outside in and vice-versa)
This morning as I got up to get the kids ready for school, I noticed that the house felt a bit more chilly than normal. When I took Kenidi out to get her on the bus, I realized why. South Florida was a beautiful 76 degrees this morning. The weather men predicted right this time. We had a "cold front" come thru overnight and it broke up the humidity we normally feel around here at that hour. It was such a pleasant relief. Therefore, after I got Brennen and his little friend Tyler on the bus, I drove to Starbucks - got my normal morning iced carmel machiatto (decaf and nonfat) along with my regular oatmeal with brown sugar. I then proceeded to come home, turned up the air conditioning because it was still so cool inside the house and then I rolled back all of the sliders on the back of the house and let the outside in. I normally don't open the sliders very much because I'm afraid we'll end up with a ton of little lizards zipping thru here which freaks me out. However today is just too beautiful not to.
I grabbed my starbucks and my laptop and headed out to listen to the fountain on the pool, and observe the ducks, river otters, huge turtles and white Florida birds in the pond, out back. Florida wildlife at its finest. Thankfully I haven't witnessed any snakes or alligators as of yet this morning. :) They have these new rugs down here that are outdoor shag carpet rugs. I love ours because I can walk out there, kick my flip flops off, and still feel like I'm walking on carpet. Way cool!
In the end, Baby Seaman and I propped my big swollen fet, legs, and pregnant cankles up on the ottoman and enjoyed the morning. I had some more images to edit and get to the magazines editor from another shoot they had me do yesterday afternoon. It was a great spot to sit and do what I love to do. Talk about relaxation. This spot is the epitome' of relaxation. I could sleep out here if I didn't have to worry about lizards getting into my ear drums. LOL!
I'm headed to the mall in a bit to try and find a new outfit to wear out to dinner tonight. I'm so sick of maternity clothes and they are sick of me. We are going out to dinner with 3 other couples from our neighborhood tonight. I need something fresh and new to wear. My maternity sun dresses and such look like I've had them for 15 years now because I've worn them out so much. YUCK! On the first Friday of every month this particular place we are going to has live bands outdoors and FAB restaurants that offer outdoor seating amongst the goings on. Florida really knows how to do up an evening of dining outdoors. That is one of my most favorite things about living here - the outdoor dining experience. Grandma Debbie arrived yesterday afternoon and has obliged to watch the kiddo's for us while we go out with our neighbor friends. Brennen and Kenidi are so glad she is here and they will have a ball with her this evening, I'm sure. We are getting out and about with friends down here as often as we can over the next 8.5 weeks. My free time is becoming very limited and we plan to soak up as many outings as we can before Baby Seaman arrives on December 2nd.
I hope each of you have a great weekend & play safe no matter what your activities are. Big hugs and much love, Angie
PS...Many of you have recently inquired about my blog no longer sending you automatic email updates as it used to. Apparently when we had to switch servers over from blogger to blogspot earlier this year, the feed quit sending email updates of my blog posts. My web gal worked on some of this yesterday and we are hoping we might have the problem resolved. However, we won't know for sure until I hit publish on this post. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we found the solution and you will should all begin getting the updates via your email inbox again. (if you are signed up to receive it that way) So many of you thought I had quit blogging all together only to discover I'm still here and blogging away. I apologize for any inconvenience regarding the change in servers. That whole experience is such a pain in my rear. Grrrr! Thank goodness my web gal knows what she is doing with it all because I sure don't! :)
UPDATE:The problem has been solved and you should now be receiving the automatic email updates again. I confirmed this with my own account just a bit ago and thru a few of you who emailed me saying you got the last post via email as well. If you aren't signed up to receive my blog updates via email but would like to be, go to the "subscribe" link at the top of this page - in the tool/navigation bar and click on it. It will then give you an option of getting the updates via email. Click that and enter your email address. You will be emailed an opt in feature which you will have to confirm by clicking a specific link but once you've done that, you should start receiving them automatically. Hope this helps everyone. A huge thanks to all of you who emailed me - concerned that I was no longer blogging. It feels good to be "missed" even though I was still here all along. LOL!
Each pair of monkey bar buddy shorts has little coordinating bows sewn to each side of the leg. It's just another added touch that make them that much more cute although still very easy and simplistic. The color choices are endless. There are 10 different colors to choose from as well as approximately 3 patterned versions too.
