A Year of Gratitude # 73

 

A Year of Gratitude #73: Photo Buddy

Have I told you about my new friend Kathryn? She's in my MOMS Club and she is absolutely wonderful. She is a year older than me, and has a little girl named Aubree who turned two in January.

Kathryn is a serious rock star. She and Aubree came over today for a playdate, and while she was here, I learned that she has an Emmy Award. Yes folks, a REAL Emmy! She got it for her writing... she wrote a piece about teachers. She's a former reporter and was an on-air news reporter. She has lived an incredible life and I'm fascinated to hear her stories.

She loves photography as much as I do and today, she brought her camera with her. I told her it'd be fun for her to take pictures of the kids and I'd take some and we could share. It's always neat to see how someone else views the world from behind their lens. I think the pictures are great. The lighting was a bit of an issue (it was not the perfect lighting scenario), but between the two of us, we got some great pictures.

Here are a few of my favs. 

 

I love the angle of this picture (Kathryn took this one)

 

The Baby Goldfish were a big hit today!

 

Aubree feeding a fish to a dinosaur

 

Aubree wanted to give Gus a hug

These are some of the pictures that I took:

I'm thankful to have a friend who loves taking pictures as much as I do! I've loved getting to know Kathryn and think she's a great person. She has helped me with planning MOMS Club activities and she's a lot of fun to be around. We're going to the Georgia Aquarium together on Thursday and then next Wednesday, she and I are taking the kids to the Atlanta Zoo and we're meeting Christy and the boys there.

Aubree is such a sweet little girl. She loves trains, cars, and dinosaurs. She and Gus get along great and both have very laid-back, easy-going personalities. We always have a good time when we're playing with them.

I'm thankful to have met Kathryn and Aubree!

A Year of Gratitude #56

 

A Year of Gratitude #56: My Camera

I'm thankful that I have my Canon. I never thought in a million years, that I'd love photography as much as I do! I guess it's just one of the many passions that I've discovered since Gus happened.

I'm thankful that my dad trusted me with his fancy-schmancy Nikon for a few months back in September of 2010. They came down for Labor Day and we went to the beach and I loved his camera. He let me "borrow" it for a few months (until November) and I had the perfect subject... sweet baby Gus.

I look back on those first few months of using his camera and I love how "green" I was. Everything was with the flash on!

I'm thankful that Steve bought me my Canon for my birthday that year. It's perfect for a beginning photographer and as time has passed, I've developed the need/desire for other lenses. I actually have two that I'm hoping to get sometime in 2012.

While it's not the camera that makes a picture great (it's the photographer's eye and ability to capture the right moment on film)... having a great camera and awesome lenses doesn't hurt!

I'm thankful that Kristen and Thom trusted me enough to take their family pictures. It was a wonderful experience taking their pictures and it was awesome that Grace already knew me... it made it an enjoyable photo shoot.

When Michelle asked me to take her labor/delivery pictures, I was so flattered. It was the second time that someone trusted me with cherished moments. It's one thing to take pictures for yourself, but when someone else asks, it's incredible.

While the labor/delivery wasn't possible, I am so honored that I was able to take June's pictures at the hospital, and here at my house at a week old.

I don't know where the future will take me in regards to my photography passion, but I'm thankful for those who support me, who lift me up with their kind words and feedback, and for those who trust me to take pictures of their family.

A Year of Gratitude #48

 

A Year of Gratitude #48: Healthy Michelle and June

So as you all know, I was supposed to take labor and delivery pictures for Michelle yesterday. Things did not go according to plan, and after trying to get the baby out, Michelle's pelvis was too small. The stress caused her blood-pressure to rise, and a C-Section was required to get June out safely. 

Thankfully, both Michelle and June came through the delivery process unharmed and alive. Michelle had to have three (yes, THREE) epidurals because the first wasn't placed right, the second wore off, and the third was to completely numb her for the surgery. Talk about painful!

I stayed up until eleven last night hoping to hear something from her husband Josh, but never did. I checked Facebook thinking that her mom would have posted the "I'm a grandma" post, but she didn't. So I started to think the worst happened.

I checked my phone first thing this morning to see if I had a text... but there was nothing. I checked FB and Josh's sister Sandi had posted a picture of June (I didn't know if she had a boy or girl) and the stats. I finally relaxed a little knowing that both mama and baby were okay.

Around ten tonight, Michelle texted me and asked if she could call me. We talked for about a half-hour and I'm so glad to hear she's okay. What an ordeal. :-/   She was disappointed to not have me there to take pictures, but had I been there, I couldn't have taken pictures anyway. She asked if I'd come to the hospital tomorrow to see her and meet June and Josh. I said I would be delighted and she asked if I would bring my camera to take some pictures of June and them as a family. :-)

She'll be in the hospital until Monday or Tuesday... so I'm glad I'll get to see her while she's close (lol). I'm hoping to go visit her weekly (if I can) because she can't drive for four weeks!!

Anyway, I'm so thankful that she's okay, June is okay, and she's now a mama!!

Nerves!

So Michelle goes to the hospital tomorrow at 6pm to start her induction... she said her doctor told her to plan on a Friday baby. She's supposed to have her mom or husband call me sometime on Friday to let me know it's time to head to the hospital.

I am so nervous about this!! It's like the nerves you get on Christmas Eve... I feel like I have NO IDEA what to expect since I've NEVER been in a delivery room!! I've never seen a baby born and I hope I don't get too focused on that and not focus on the job at hand.

I pray that I take amazing pictures that she treasures and that I do a good job for them. They're not having anyone else in the room with them, so it's an honor to be there. 

I'm going to remain professional and be there to be silent and just take as many incredible pictures as I can... but I'm still really nervous about it!! I've got my battery on the charger, and a back-up memory card just in case. 

I'm just really torn on which lens to use. My 50mm is so great and takes amazing portrait-type pictures, but I can't zoom with it. I love how it focuses on a central object and everything else is somewhat blurry... it's awesome.

But then my 58mm is good and lets me zoom in a bit to make sure I'm capturing an entire picture. So I don't know... I'm not going to have a lot of time to switch out my lens and I don't want to miss anything!! I guess I'll play it by ear and see what happens.

I do know that for the pictures of when Josh tells everyone what they had (they're going to be surprised), I am going to use my 58mm lens because it'll let me get him and the fam in the same shot (the 50mm is more up close).

Wish me luck!!!!

Baby Shower Saturday

 

Me and Michelle

My friend Michelle had her baby shower today! Michelle is an Alpha Gam (many years after me), but we didn't meet through AGD. When Anne Kloack came to me with folders for possible student teachers in the fall of 2006 (for the winter 2007 semester), the one that she thought I'd REALLY like was Michelle's folder. She said that she thought I'd really get along with her and I could really make Michelle's student teaching semester amazing. 

When I saw the name, I knew that I knew it, but wasn't 100% how. Then I read her info and saw that she was the current President of Alpha Gamma Delta at EMU. BINGO! That's how I knew her! But... I didn't really know her at all. Had never met her before.

So I told Anne that I knew "of" Michelle and asked if it was a conflict of interest to have her in my classroom with me, and Anne said that she didn't think so, not if I didn't even know Michelle. So it was set and she started in January of 2007 as my last student teacher in MI.

Anyway, before student teaching with me, Michelle took a job in Georgia (where she is now) and already had a job lined up before coming into my room. I was worried that because she already had a job, she wouldn't give 100% effort to student teaching. I was wrong, and she and I had a GREAT semester together. I think she learned from me (hope so anyway) and I enjoyed seeing her blossom and thrive with my 5th graders.

When we found out that we were moving to GA, she was the first person I got in touch with and asked for info on the areas around Buckhead. I was excited when the call came for Steve while we were in Harris Teeter offering him the job, and that night, I messaged her and told her.

I'm so glad to be down here and to have her so close. She's about 45 minutes from me, and by no means "close" but it's nice to have her close enough that I can see her a few times a month!!

So anyway, her baby shower was today and it was great seeing her again and to see her mom. I got to see the nursery too... they're not sure if they're having a boy or girl, and are going to wait to be surprised on their baby's birthday. What a fun treat!

While we were chatting after she opened her gifts and everyone was just hanging out, she asked me if I would be willing to take pictures of her while she's in labor and delivering. I couldn't believe it. What an honor!!

I got a little emotional and told her that I was honored and that I'd never been in a delivery room before. She said, "Neither have I!" LOL

I'm very excited! Granted, she might change her mind and decide that she doesn't want to use me for this, and I'll understand. BUT... if she wants it, I'll be there to take her pictures while she's laboring and then finally bringing her baby into this world. What a privilege to get to be there for such an immensely important moment!!! 

I had to Google some photography of labor and delivery photo shoots because I had no idea what it'd even look like. After looking at some, it's just amazing. How awesome to have such a great, momentous occasion documented on film!! I just hope I don't screw anything up... there are no re-dos!!

While I was gone, Gus decided that he didn't want to nap and was a beast. Steve said it was a long, exhausting day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. We're going to Outback for dinner and I can't wait! We were supposed to go tonight, but with Gus being a beast and me getting home at 6:00-- it was too late. We'll go early tomorrow so that we can get home and have some down-time before Gus goes to bed and Steve gets himself ready for work on Monday.

See you tomorrow... or the next day!!!