tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570003005043141762024-02-26T11:35:36.844-06:00Enjoy All Life Has to Offer!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-39517564502646088892012-03-31T22:24:00.001-05:002012-03-31T22:24:28.693-05:00Delaney: Weeks 7 & 8I am finally catching up on blogging about Delaney's adventure thus far. It feels great since she's 9 weeks old and is growing up way too fast! I know every parent says that but it really is true......they grow overnight and it seems like each day she looks a little different and trying something a bit new. I want my little bundle of joy to grow up but in some ways I want her to stay just the way she is. I think this is a great age and I'm loving every minute of it. We've been blessed with a really good baby who hardly ever fusses unless she's hungry or over tired. She's really been a dream baby and it's no wonder I would like another one ASAP. I know crazy but it's been fantastic and I'm not getting any younger. <br />
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Here's what has taken place in the world of Delaney.<br />
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<strong>Week 7:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>She met her cousins Lacey and Andrew and was a perfect little girl during their visit. Aunt Julie also got to visit with her. It's so nice to have cousins old enough to babysit....and she drives too. They are very excited to have a little one in the family.</li>
<li>She is starting to outgrow her newborn clothes and I've slowly started packing them away.....sniff, sniff. She wore her first 0-3 month clothes this week.</li>
<li>A dear co-worker of mine had her father pass away suddenly so we went to the Shiva. Many co-workers were there and she had many eager people waiting to hold her. Babies take away the sadness a bit since they are a nice distraction especially since my friend is 39 weeks pregnant.</li>
<li>We went to a book club members surprise birthday party. Barb turned 85 and I'm so blessed to have her in my life. She's like having another Grandma and she was overjoyed to meet Delaney and hold her for a bit. </li>
<li>Went on LOTS of walks - it's been in the 70's and 80's and it's only mid-March. Can you say global warming?!</li>
</ul>
<strong>Week 8:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Had a picnic lunch at the forest preserve and went for a good long walk. It was 80 degrees and we couldn't miss an opportunity to get some fresh air. </li>
<li>Found her thumb this week and was finally able to land it in the mouth. I think it was a fluke though because she can't seem to repeat it despite trying really hard to suck her thumb.</li>
<li>I marked the calendar, March 15th was the first night she slept 7 1/2 hours straight. I woke up in a panic and had to check to see if she was still breathing. It was great news but scared me too when I realized I didn't feed her at all that night. </li>
<li>She smiled for the first time that was NOT associated with passing gas but just shear joy. </li>
<li>Celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a nice long walk and visits with the neighbors. Of course she wore green too.</li>
<li>Got together with family so she could see her Uncle Steve again.</li>
<li>First road trip - we went to Indiana and she slept through the night when at the hotel. It seems to be catching on. Yippee! She was fantastic in the car and only got fussy when it was time to eat. She's a great travel buddy.</li>
</ul>
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Meeting Cousin Lacey for the first time. She was battling the flu for a while and had to patiently wait to finally meet her. Doesn't it look like they coordinated their outfits?</div>
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Meeting Cousin Andrew who is smitten over his new cousin.</div>
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All dressed up to attend the Shiva and meet some co-workers of mine.</div>
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Stretching and looking out the window. Here she is sporting her cozy outfit including her babylegs and thirsties diaper cover. </div>
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Happy 85th birthday Barb! So excited she got to meet such a special lady. </div>
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Annie got her this outfit and she just had to wear it for the surprise party. </div>
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My dear friend Peg is overjoyed for us and her smile says it all. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.</div>
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Delaney and I all wrapped up in our moby wrap. Babywearing is the best!</div>
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Delaney enjoying the beautiful weather outside. She has started to reach for the bunny on her papasan a few times. </div>
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Love those blue eyes! They are a darker shade than David's so I think she got them from me. At least 1 feature of hers is from my side!</div>
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All smiles as she celebrates St. Patrick's Day!</div>
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Cutest girl in a green dress. She doesn't need luck - she has the best parents! Ha Ha.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-47539062105935486712012-03-28T00:18:00.000-05:002012-03-28T00:18:28.288-05:00Delaney: Weeks 5 & 6Time is flying by and I'm actually starting to forget about the 12 days that Delaney had to spend in the hospital. Hard to believe because I felt so helpless but now that life as we know it has changed for the better, I'm loving life. I'm recovering nicely from the delivery and feeling really good. No signs of postpartum depression which makes me very relieved. <br />
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Let's see what Delaney has been up to.<br />
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<strong>Week 5:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>We discovered that she likes the swing and it soothes her during the afternoon when its hard for her to settle down. </li>
<li>Instead of putting her into the baby bath tub, we decided to have her join me in the tub and she LOVED it instantly! She loves the water and pushes her arms and legs like she wants to do the backstroke. I think we have a natural born swimmer, which is good because I don't want to pass my fear of deep water onto her. I look forward to her taking swimming lessons early so she isn't traumatized like I was when I started lessons. </li>
<li>Daddy left us for the first time to go to a concert. We did well alone but were excited to have him back to help with those diaper changes since he does most of them.</li>
<li>We also had her first big outing to the library. Since she's a newborn they gave us a nice gift including a doggie board book, wrist rattle, and good information on reading to a young one. We had custom book shelves built for her nursery and I've loved filling it with books. I hope she loves reading like I do. </li>
<li>I also left Delaney for the first time to go scrapbooking and it was great to get out of the house. Cabin fever was really getting to me and it was nice to get out for a bit. I am really feeling like my old self which is great! It was also my first time pumping outside of the hospital or our house so I was a bit worried about that - with good reason, I didn't have enough batteries and the pump wouldn't work! I should have tested it before I left. </li>
<li>Eating like a champ! Still every 3 to 3 1/2 hours.</li>
<li>Wearing newborn clothes.</li>
<li>Sleeping well and love to be swaddled, it calms you.</li>
<li>Celebrated my 1 month birthday!!!</li>
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<strong>Week 6:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Went to the doctor for a weight check and was so happy to hear she was gaining 1 1/2 oz/day! We are now weighing 8 lb 5 oz. This goes to show that breastfeeding is really going well and the best thing for her especially as we try and catch up from being born early.</li>
<li>Visited my co-workers who couldn't get enough of her. She is the cutest after all! I tried to get her a job while we were there and I know she's going to have a successful career someday. </li>
<li>We also left her with a babysitter for the first time. OK, it was my parents but it counts! David and I went downtown Chicago for a few hours and I finally got my birthday dinner from Joe's Stone Crab. I was in the hospital on my actual birthday but it was nice to get my favorite meal. I even had a glass of wine and it was bliss. I never even cried which is good for me since I can cry at the drop of a hat. I knew she was in good hands and she was an angel the whole time we were gone. The grandparents loved every minute of it. </li>
<li>Delaney attended her first birthday party. Her buddy, Parker, turned one and she was all dressed up for the occasion. </li>
<li>She began playing a little bit with her first toy, a flower, which David has named "Patty Petunia". </li>
<li>The weather is warming up a bit and we went for our first stroller ride to the lake. She slept the whole time but we loved getting outside in the fresh air and the dogs LOVED it even more. They've gotten a bit neglected with the weather being cold and the babies arrival. Now that it's warming up we are going for lots of walks which is great for everyone. </li>
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Kicking back in my swing in my Daddy's man cave.</div>
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Sleeping on my Daddy's chest on a lazy morning. </div>
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Look at how long her hair is. It's beautiful.</div>
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Smiling because it's February 25th and she is 1 month old. </div>
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Awww.......</div>
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Starting to get tired of all of these pictures.</div>
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Delaney and her sock monkey buddy. </div>
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Stretching out on her Grandma's quilt she made her.</div>
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Sitting up in her crib. She is yet to sleep in it but she will someday soon.</div>
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Don't worry - I will remove the bumper!</div>
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All dressed up for her first birthday party. </div>
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I think Parker thought she was beautiful.</div>
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Pooped from all of the partying. Time to get her beauty sleep.</div>
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Cuddling up in her Rock and Play Sleeper with the blanket the auxilary ladies from the hospital made for her. It's the perfect size for her right now. Isn't she so peaceful looking?</div>
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Weeks 5 & 6 are behind us and she's growing up so fast! Slow down baby girl!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-53048911254602594462012-03-27T22:50:00.001-05:002012-03-27T22:50:25.629-05:00Delaney: Weeks 3 & 4We are finally home and settling into a nice routine consisting of lots of diaper changes, feedings, and cuddling. She had her 2 week doctor appointment and we were ecstatic to hear that she weighed 6 lb 6 oz and was 19 1/4" long. She is growing and thankfully breastfeeding is going well. <br />
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Week 3:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pediatric appointment - weighs 6 lb 6 oz and is 19 1/4" long at 14 days old.</li>
<li>Started tummy time and did well but still prefers her back.</li>
<li>Used up those yucky disposable diapers and started cloth diapering!!!!We chose to use Green Mountain Diapers newborn prefolds and covers to start with. Also using cloth wipes in a wipe warmer with my special concoction of coconut oil, Dr. Bronner's soap, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. I really love preparing her wipes and they clean her up so well.</li>
<li>She got her first bath - it wasn't the fun activity I hoped for. We used the puj tub we got and she screamed so we made it a quick bath.</li>
<li>Delaney got her newborn pictures taken by the talented Carrianne Photography and we were bubbling over with pride as she was a perfect angel during the shoot. So happy we were able to reschedule her photoshoot because of her early arrival and hospitalizations. They were worth every penny and I'll treasure those pictures forever.</li>
<li>My parents came to visit Delaney again now that she is out of the hospital. My mom finished making a beautiful quilt for Delaney and wanted to bring it to her. It works perfectly in her nursery and she used many of the fabrics from her bedding and adding some others. It has an elephant, giraffe, and bird on it. </li>
<li>My brother and his family met Delaney and her cousins were ecstatic to finally meet the baby from my belly. My oldest niece was a bit of a baby hog but very motherly with her. She is going to be a great mother someday!</li>
</ul>
Week 4: <br />
<ul>
<li>Ventured out to Buy Buy Baby for some baby supplies and to make some returns. We went in the middle of the day when everyone was at work so we kept her nice and healthy. She also made her first visit to Portillo's and slept right through our dinner. </li>
<li>Delaney also got a visit from some good friends of ours as well as her Grandma Wilma and her Great Aunt Patsy. Grandma is very excited to have another grandchild since her other 3 are all teenagers now. She kept trying to persuade us to name her Lily but that was a nice we considered for our dog Stella so I couldn't do it. I think she likes Delaney though.</li>
<li>Continuing with tummy time but gets easily frustrated and rescue her by flipping her back to her back. We'll keep working on it.</li>
<li>Breastfeeding continues to go well and we no longer need Daddy to supplement with a bottle of breast milk. Yeah!</li>
<li>Sleeping well and still wants to eat every 3 to 3 1/2 hours.</li>
</ul>
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I LOVE the quilt my Mom made for Delaney.</div>
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It's just perfect and I know she will treasure it always.</div>
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Tummy time!</div>
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Proud Daddy cuddling in her nursery.</div>
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Cozied up while sleeping. </div>
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Beautiful blue eyes like your Mom and Dad. Let's hope they stay blue.</div>
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My First Bath - and not so happy about it.</div>
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Trying to find her fingers to soothe herself but still haven't mastered that.</div>
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We ended the bath quickly and got her bundled up once again.</div>
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I think this picture says it all....I love my new job as Mom!</div>
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Both my fur baby and Delaney bundled up for the afternoon.</div>
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Cousins come to visit and just love little Delaney.</div>
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Look at those smiles. Everyone is excited for her to be home.</div>
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So there you have it, weeks 3 and 4 have passed and we are loving our new life has a family with little Delaney. She's our angel baby and we can't get over how blessed we are. We are looking forward to what is to come.<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-82735939350081401482012-03-26T20:56:00.001-05:002012-03-26T21:11:22.078-05:00Delaney: 2 weekBy the time Delaney was 2 weeks old, she was finally home and no longer at the hospital. Thank goodness because 12 days at the hospital was no fun! Writing about the <a href="http://enjoyalllifehastooffer.blogspot.com/2012/03/delaney-1-week.html">first week</a> of her life brought back a lot of memories both very positive and some I wish I could forget. We were able to bring her home on February 6th which was the best day for us. The very next day she started to breastfeed like a champ! It was like everything clicked and we were both much more relaxed being at home. We decided to have her sleep in a bassinet so that it would be easier to feed and change her in the middle of the night. Plus we quickly learned that the mobile it came with worked wonders. She loved looking at the lights, teddy bears, and listening to the music. She continued to eat every 3 hours and with David home too, we settled into a nice routine of him changing her diapers and clothes while I was in charge of feeding and pumping. <br />
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David unfortunately lost his job in August and has spent a lot of time trying to find the right opportunity but it just hasn't happened, its a tough job market. By the end of December we decided that he would stay at home with Delaney and that the job search would continue but we would need to ensure it was the right opportunity for us to put her into daycare. This has turned out to be a great decision because we are both home with her together which allows both of us to bond with her. Teamwork has allowed but of us to get sleep and we are learning about how to care for a newborn together. We've always joked about him being a stay at home dad but never thought it would happen because financially it's difficult to do. Losing his job was a blessing in disguise and I'm excited that when I return to work, Delaney will have the best care possible from the best Daddy around!<br />
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Hanging out with Daddy after he helped to bottle feed me.</div>
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Such a little peanut but I keep eating so I get stronger and stronger each day. </div>
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Mommy finally got a good nights sleep and is so happy to be with me.</div>
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My sock monkey friend kept me company in the incubator.</div>
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This was my mommy' view for many days as I got stronger.</div>
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It's February 6th and I'm finally going home!!!</div>
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My 3rd and final trip home.</div>
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When we got home my Mom swaddled me and kept me nice and cozy.</div>
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Week 2 was an emotional week and we couldn't be happier to be home as a family.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-91517813284737493952012-03-23T19:47:00.001-05:002012-03-26T21:11:04.399-05:00Delaney: 1 weekIt took me a while but I finally wrote Delaney's birth story and all about her arrival - 4 weeks early. If you missed it you can read all of the bloody details (just kidding) <a href="http://enjoyalllifehastooffer.blogspot.com/2012/03/delaney-grace-has-arrived.html">here</a>. <br />
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After spending 2 days in the hospital, Delaney and I were released on Friday evening and were finally on our way home as a family of 3. We arrived home around 7:30 pm and we were excited to introduce Tanner and Stella to Delaney. We videotaped this special moment and they were both great dogs and welcomed her with open <strike>arms</strike> paws (lame joke). David and I then looked at each other and weren't sure what to do next with Delaney. We then got the bassinet ready for her to sleep in and began the routine of feeding her every 2 to 3 hours. In the middle of the night we noticed that she was very cold to the touch and tried to warm her up with skin to skin. We then got out 2 thermometers that we received as gifts and took her temperature - we began to panic because both of them were reading low and she was still very cold to the touch. It was a long night worrying about her but we knew we were going to see the pediatrician at 8:00 that morning. <br />
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At 7:30am we got her all bundled up and headed to the pediatrician. Overnight her coloring turned very yellow and looked like she had spent the night somewhere sunny. We had her bilirubin tested and it was very high. The doctor decided that because of her temperature and bilirubin levels that she needed to be readmitted into the hospital. This was heartbreaking but I knew as a mom that it was the right thing to do. Our doctor made arrangements with the hospital to have her admitted into the special care nursery (NICU) and even got a room for me so that I could stay at the hospital with her and continue nursing her. Lots of special approvals to make this happen because she was discharged but given it was only 12 hours they made an exception.<br />
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She spent Saturday and Sunday under the lights and we got lots of support from the lactation consultants because she still wasn't catching onto breastfeeding and was quite an ordeal to get her to eat. We settled into a routine after she was readmitted and fed every 3 hours on the dot. If she wouldn't breastfeed well we would then give her a bottle of pumped milk. We had to be fast because she needed to spend as much time as possible under the lights. <br />
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As a new mom, having your child back in the hospital is devastating. I was exhausted and hadn't slept since Monday night. The nurses kept urging me to eat and sleep but I couldn't do much of either. They were becoming concerned because I looked like a train wreck. They gave me as much attention as Delaney and I felt well taken care of while we were there. David even went out and got me my favorite deep dish pizza - Gino's to cheer me up. I would get a little bit of sleep but every 3 hours I had to set my alarm and be back in the NICU to feed Delaney. David went home to be with the dogs since we had already sent my parents home who watched them for our earlier hospital visit. He needed his sleep and I managed to sleep a little that night during our feedings. <br />
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Sunday came and in the afternoon the doctor discharged Delaney because her bilirubin had dropped and she was eating better and appeared to be maintaining her body temperature. So off we go, back home for a second time. I was feeling more confident about feeding her and I thought things were looking good.<br />
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Monday morning we are back at the pediatrician's office for a check up and when they took her temperature it was reading in the 96 range - not good! They used multiple thermometers to be sure and that's when I heard the dreaded words......."I can't ignore this and she will need to be readmitted back into the hospital." I maintained my tough facade and we headed home to pack our bags once again. I got home and that's when I lost it. Laying in bed holding my baby and sobbing....this was not what I expected and I felt like a failure because I couldn't understand why I just couldn't take care of her. My hormones were out of whack which didn't help......it was one ugly cry! <br />
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Back to the hospital we go but this time we were admitted onto the pediatric floor. We got a room with a bed so we were able to stay with her but it was not the same positive, nurturing environment we had in the NICU. It was down right depressing and the doctors kept talking about potential infection and possibly needing a spinal tap in addition to many tests. The next 3 days were the worst ever. I stayed around the clock to feed Delaney while David went home to sleep - it hit him really hard too and he couldn't handle being in the hospital all of the time. I felt terrible for him because he was helpless and saw not only his daughter getting iv's and being in the hospital but he saw his wife falling apart and hanging on by a thread. <br />
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Come Wednesday we couldn't take it anymore and they had pretty much ruled out infection and knew we were just dealing with complications of her being early. She needed to build up her brown fat so that she could maintain her body temperature which would in turn help with her jaundice and feedings. I became obsessed with measuring how much she was eating, weighing her before/after feedings, and logging all of her body temps. I am pretty sure my records were a million times better than the doctors and nurses because its all I could think about. When our favorite doctor walked into the room on Wednesday morning, David had a long conversation with her about our concerns with being on the pediatric floor versus in the NICU where the nurses were better trained on providing care to a preemie. Part of me was like David enough - let's just deal with the cards we were dealt but it ended up paying off. The doctor went to the head of nursing and we got Delaney moved back to the NICU. I finally felt like she got the care she needed and was able to get some sleep because I knew she was in good hands. The only downside to this move was that I didn't have a room to stay in anymore and had to leave at night. I was actually OK with it because I knew I was no good to her until I got some sleep. I set my alarm so that I could continue to pump and let's just say I never heard it go off. I woke up 8 hours later and almost flipped. I guess I really needed that sleep.<br />
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What a roller coaster ride her first week was but so happy she didn't have anything more serious wrong with her. At the time it felt like the world was ending but looking back I know it was only a bump in the road. <br />
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2 days old and sleeping after her food coma</div>
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Delaney going to the pediatrician office on day 3</div>
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Her winter hat was a little big but she was still adorable. </div>
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This was before we got the "back to the hospital" news.</div>
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Her newborn outfit was plenty big on her. </div>
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Daddy holding his little girl on day 5. </div>
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Another newborn outfit that was swimming on her.</div>
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Day 5 and she was in an open bassinet - not good because we lost time she could have been in the incubator fattening up. She looks so peaceful though.</div>
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Day 6 and she had to have an IV put in her arm. </div>
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I was not happy to learn she has veins like me and it took 5 sticks to get one in.</div>
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It was put in for precautionary reasons only which made me even more mad because we never needed it. She's our little trooper!</div>
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Day 7 in the incubator. Starting on day 6 we weren't allowed to take her out of the incubator at all, not even to feed. Everything had to be done in the incubator which made feedings and diaper changes very difficult. This picture honestly broke my heart but honestly she loved the incubator. She was toasty warm. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-81885846999614730612012-03-23T00:29:00.001-05:002012-03-23T14:28:09.907-05:00Delaney Grace has arrived...I am happy to announce that our beautiful daughter, Delaney Grace, was born on January 25th. I know I'm a bit behind (only 8 weeks) in sharing this on my blog but let's just say I've been a bit busy. We have now settled into a routine and I'm recommitting myself to blogging now that life is getting back to some level of normalness. They say if you write down your goals you are more likely to meet them so here it is - I am going to write weekly/monthly updates and will play catch up over the next few weeks. They really do grow up fast and I have a lot to share with you. <br />
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Without further ado, here is her birth story! <br />
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Delaney's due date was February 20th so it was a bit of surprise that she arrived 4 weeks early. Well it was a surprise and then it wasn't. I spent my 35th birthday in December at 32 weeks in the hospital with pre-term labor. Very scary especially since my hubby was 6 hours north ice-fishing when my doctor sent me to labor and delivery at the hospital. We were able to keep her from coming into the world at 32 weeks and then was put on bedrest. We put little goals in place and met all of them from a timing standpoint. Just hold off baby girl until after the baby shower, hold off until after our breastfeeding class, hold off until after our childbirth class, hold off until 36 week, and then she arrived. I had a lot of braxton hicks contractions during this 4 week period of time and went to the hospital one other time because of intense contractions that lasted longer than 24 hours - we were sent home luckily. During this time I worked from home in my comfy bed with Tanner and Stella never leaving my side! It's like they knew and wanted to be there to protect me and the baby until her arrival. I went into work only 3 times during this period of time and 1 time was to find out I still had a job after announcing we were laying off 700 employees the very next day - talk about stress. It's no wonder she arrived early because I sure needed a break. <br />
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On January 24th I went into work all day and felt great. I worked late and got home around 8:00 and didn't feel like eating dinner so I didn't. I got into my pj's and read my childbirth book by Ina May Gaskin until about 11:00 and went to bed. At 12:00 midnight on the dot my water broke and I jumped up in bed very surprised that this was really happening. I woke up Dave and said "my water just broke" and he thought he was dreaming. Both of us jumped out of bed and began running around the house like 2 very excited but confused parents to be. We were giddy with excitement and tried to remember what they told us to do at our childbirth class when my water broke. I had been to my OB earlier that day and everything seemed fine, how quickly things change especially since he told me that day he was going on vacation the following week. What?!?!?! You can't leave town! I called the doctor, we frantically packed our bags, I ate some yogurt, and we headed out the door. Tanner and Stella were both very confused because we were leaving them in the middle of the night. I felt terrible abandoning them or at least that's how it felt at the time. I knew their world was going to change a lot very very soon. <br />
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We arrived at the hospital and I was still feeling great with no contractions yet. They brought us to our room and the preparation began after confirming that my water broke - there was no doubt in my mind because it was a lot of water! Then they wanted to put in an iv for when I would get the epidural I was most likely going to have and to have it there in case of any problems - the only problem was that I have the worst veins ever and they kept blowing. It took 1 1/2 hours to get the iv in along with 4 people attempting to get it in, and 7 sticks!!! Yup......7, SEVEN!!!! They had to bring in the big guns and have the rapid response team put in the iv. That was not fun but I was a trooper and knew the nurses felt terrible. Once that was over I got to relax a bit and chatted with David about the journey we were about to go through together that day. They checked my cervix when I got there and I was already between 2-3. I was thinking wow, no contractions yet and I'm already progressing nicely. I was feeling confident and very excited.<br />
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Around 3:00 a.m. my contractions began and were coming very regularly. We kept debating about when we should call my parents and our doula. My parents live 2 hours away and the plan was they would come in and watch the dogs for us. Around 5:00 a.m. the doctor came to check on me and my cervix was between 3-4 cm...progressing nicely. We then called my parents and our doula because the contractions had really picked up. Once our doula got there we began walking the halls and they encouraged me to walk for about 45 minutes or so. I barely lasted 20 minutes and had to get back to the room because I was beginning to struggle with the contractions and got very dizzy like I was going to pass out. I then tried relaxing on the exercise ball and absolutely hated it. I spent the next 30 minutes leaning over my bed in a lot of pain. The next couple of hours got increasingly difficult and I was grateful that I learned Lamaze breathing because it was the only thing that got me through.<br />
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The doctor checked me again at 9:00 and I was disappointed to hear that I was only 4 cm. This is the point I really started to doubt how long I could do this and whether or not I was going to maintain my positive outlook. Ask my hubby how I was during this time......he couldn't stop talking because he had a ton of nervous energy which wasn't a good mix with me - I <strike>wanted</strike> needed silence! The next hour was no fun and at 10:00 I caved and asked for an epidural while at only 4 cm, I felt defeated. They began my iv of fluids for hydration and called the anesthesiologist right away. It wasn't quick enough for me. I began losing my patience and keep asking the nurses how much longer. Finally around 10:30 the doctor arrived and my husband and doula had to leave the room. I was very nervous about the epidural and whether or not I could stay still while dealing with contractions and a HUGE needle in my back. I had the BEST nurse and she helped me through it but then it got ugly. I felt like I was losing control in the middle of the procedure and threw up all over the nurse. Talk about embarrassing but it came out of no where. I then heard the doctor say to the nurse - I think she's going through transition. Transition??? I learned about that in our childbirth class and couldn't believe it. After the procedure I was checked again and was a 9!!!! Yup, I went from a 4 to a 9 during the last hour and hit transition during the epidural. Not fun but I wish you could have seen the surprised look on my hubby's face when I told him I was a 9 and we would be pushing soon. I then rested and got a wonderful massage for the next hour and at 12:10 I started pushing. Being the competitive person I am, I actually enjoyed pushing and kept trying to better and better each time. My doula kept calling me Wonder Woman because of how I handled the delivery. At 2:08 pm, Delaney Grace was born and I instantly became so overwhelmed and knew I would love that girl to pieces forever!!!! She was born transverse but I was so motivated to meet her that it didn't stop me.<br />
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We elected to delay cord clamping and not have it cut right away so that she would get all of the blood from the placenta and during that time I got to start bonding with her right away as she laid on my chest. I was so overwhelmed with utter joy that I was balling.....yup tears of joy that made me look oh so pretty in those pictures. She was beautiful, healthy and my dream of becoming a mom had finally come true. It was the best moment of my life. <br />
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We were educated about "late pre-term babies" prior to delivery and thought to ourselves that as long as her lungs were mature she would be fine. We thought we were in the clear because the next 2 days in the hospital were wonderful and despite getting no sleep for 2 nights, we were in heaven. We were sent home 2 days later and unfortunately we were back in the hospital within 12 hours. Yup, my worst nightmare was beginning and I couldn't believe my baby girl was struggling with low body temperature, jaundice, and poor feedings. I have a lot to share about the next 12 days of Delaney's life but I'll save that for another blog post. <br />
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In the meantime here's a few pictures from the happiest day of our lives.<br />
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Delaney right after her arrival.</div>
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Weighed 6 lb 4 oz and 19 inches long - our little peanut</div>
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Bonding with her Mama after celebrating her birthday!</div>
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The best doctor and nurse I could have asked for.</div>
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Dr. Dan and Kris were phenomenal.</div>
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My doula Jen saw me during the toughest of times but helped David and I through it all. </div>
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I think her and nurse Kris became fast friends during it all.</div>
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After getting her bath, she was ready for her first nap. It's been an exhausting day for all.</div>
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So there you have it, the best day of our lives and my babies birthday.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-85492083560161656782012-01-15T15:38:00.001-06:002012-01-15T15:38:10.128-06:00Spending 2 days with my Photography IdolThis past May I was lucky enough to attend Me Ra Koh's confidence workshop in Chicago and it changed me in many ways. I got to spend 2 days up close and personal with one of my photography idols. The workshop is limited to 25 participants which makes the learning experience very personal and intimate. Me Ra isn't shy about sharing her secrets to success and how she got to be where she is today. I have been shooting in manual with confidence ever since the workshop, it seems I've forgotten even how to use aperture priority these days. In addition to being able to shoot manually now, I learned how to shoot in tough lighting situations and believe me - we were shooting in the worst light possible on day 2 thanks to a rainstorm that came through. <br />
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Me Ra blogged about the workshop a couple months later and I was ecstatic to see my work featured on her blog not once but twice. You can read all about our day 1 experience <a href="http://www.merakoh.com/2011/09/14/part-1-chicago-confidence-workshop/">here</a> and below are the 2 photos she shared that I took on day 1. I love all of the details and tend to really hone in these adorable little features. <br />
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Here's a photo of us hard at work trying to capture the beauty of this ADORABLE little girl. She was a big hit that day and everyone wanted to photograph her personality and beauty. I'm sitting on the windowsill on the left just waiting for the perfect shot and she didn't disappoint!<br />
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The first day we shot babies under 1 year of age and then day was family shots. Oh boy, we had the worst lighting ever because right when it was time to shoot it started storming and raining like you wouldn't believe. So stuck inside of hotel we were and needed to find a way to still get some amazing shots for these families. It's a whole lot more challenging to get 4 people looking great in a shot than just 1 or 2.....maybe that's why I prefer shooting little one's and just waiting for that magical moment.<br />
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Me Ra blogged about day 2 as well and shared a couple more of my shots from this very challenging afternoon. Read more about it <a href="http://www.merakoh.com/2011/09/22/part-2-chicago-confidence-workshop/">here</a>. I love how comfortable mom looks in this first photo and you can really sense her love for her little one. I then got a good shot with dad as well while they were laughing and having a good old time. <br />
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Me Ra and her husband Brian took these photos below as we enjoyed the afternoon challenge. I am in the first photo below where the dark shirt and was ecstatic to put my flash to use that day. I learned during the workshop how to use it and make it look like natural light - it was a god sent that day for me and I am no longer afraid to use flash when necessary. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD6lqHD0l2c3gejh_YejKIaXtwu8ufNxP0_0Oup3JUKJbO0kcfG3Q3WXIe4ojo_5fPXtuFeLh_xS9zRIyFtfa9Jn8fbmP8eMLkcCAPBJKiIoysAwt9Aj5iTbFWCbMz_uTsOfynORYBRw/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD6lqHD0l2c3gejh_YejKIaXtwu8ufNxP0_0Oup3JUKJbO0kcfG3Q3WXIe4ojo_5fPXtuFeLh_xS9zRIyFtfa9Jn8fbmP8eMLkcCAPBJKiIoysAwt9Aj5iTbFWCbMz_uTsOfynORYBRw/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So there you have it - my 2 days with Me Ra that I will treasure forever. This year I am hoping that Me Ra will come back to Chicago once again so that I can bring our Baby Girl to the workshop as a model. It would be great to see her again and have 25 talented women taking shots of our precious girl, what more could a girl ask for.<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-47209620220274356192012-01-14T21:05:00.000-06:002012-01-14T21:05:55.839-06:00Maternity Pictures at 34 weeksThis pregnancy hasn't been how I would have expected and one positive is that I really haven't gained any weight until recently - thanks to 1st and 3rd trimester morning sickness. Being 5' 10" means Baby Girl has lots of room in the torso to grow and unfortunately I don't have that cute little basketball belly that I wanted. <br />
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My super talented friend <a href="http://begphoto.blogspot.com/2012/01/awaiting-baby.html">Brooke</a> has been wanting to take some maternity pictures for months but the belly just wasn't big enough. Well at 32 weeks I ended up in the hospital with pre-term labor, on my 35th birthday of all days, and was sad to think that I didn't have a single picture of me pregnant. Knowing this may be our one and only, I knew that I wanted some pictures to remember this extraordinary time even if I wasn't the most beautiful pregnant woman around. <br />
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Finally I got out of the hospital and my bed rest was lifted so at 34 weeks we finally got together for a maternity photography session. Here's a few to show off the baby bump that is contracting as we speak.....I think she's coming sooner than her February 20th due date!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzw1r2Q9M_d-V2YCXqlQMgSFs3Y2VH48rT2KbcL9Qux6Dw2z6MtbzdHY1s12KhnoEDudCVoTvGu2t99RfO6wGSZRzGMfyc-ZUlUgLXvPZEAEuOcuadMW87tMMRLlE4LexczhEw-hPOBLs/s1600/maternity+ribbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzw1r2Q9M_d-V2YCXqlQMgSFs3Y2VH48rT2KbcL9Qux6Dw2z6MtbzdHY1s12KhnoEDudCVoTvGu2t99RfO6wGSZRzGMfyc-ZUlUgLXvPZEAEuOcuadMW87tMMRLlE4LexczhEw-hPOBLs/s640/maternity+ribbon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E3i-6_CIxBJDlkoS8AEyotr7qUbABWDfO9si4gpM7-q_4RdrOnc-7nkYNORfHbJnlodDUH1f1rDi1NByEBEJbY3Vq6flgbhjSZWYwaD94Dq1SihltXDyd19tZRUz__4kEklelewm-30/s1600/maternity+knees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E3i-6_CIxBJDlkoS8AEyotr7qUbABWDfO9si4gpM7-q_4RdrOnc-7nkYNORfHbJnlodDUH1f1rDi1NByEBEJbY3Vq6flgbhjSZWYwaD94Dq1SihltXDyd19tZRUz__4kEklelewm-30/s640/maternity+knees.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Njt0fCQHpX2dnnxbX3WF-aQA3Jjp1OVaRp8xUKnui8c3XbVwRsHoSi80UEniNfT8f4vPCBsmaIIREevxFx4asG8P0JO6FDXgf75yUz9dTlcAQZBtDMCCVJOmTyCg7bUcf8sYGpMtKao/s1600/maternity+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Njt0fCQHpX2dnnxbX3WF-aQA3Jjp1OVaRp8xUKnui8c3XbVwRsHoSi80UEniNfT8f4vPCBsmaIIREevxFx4asG8P0JO6FDXgf75yUz9dTlcAQZBtDMCCVJOmTyCg7bUcf8sYGpMtKao/s640/maternity+me.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqwnuNiFGRWya_Z7wGMhfMbLwnXsUxD_HpKR7MzlhHZYzYkiS0lKZ4mDMequg6piC4dvR-BETvUhOuyOnSE__CshoqIgJM-F8si3RIuNcFdGzeTra_FAnNFd3uHWCjI7TjWByUGqDRGg/s1600/maternity+ribbon+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqwnuNiFGRWya_Z7wGMhfMbLwnXsUxD_HpKR7MzlhHZYzYkiS0lKZ4mDMequg6piC4dvR-BETvUhOuyOnSE__CshoqIgJM-F8si3RIuNcFdGzeTra_FAnNFd3uHWCjI7TjWByUGqDRGg/s640/maternity+ribbon+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcKvOpsAe8H3GPMzo2cUUJUfglr3QNOsIKstA9gP6so4I3Z05xrBQgqUpsmSYyIlnPt50VoxHotyF0vyIRYLfvzMxtrTFIa8cuU9t-smF1NTXkJ-fQ_Bqz67bkc0QZiBCUqp9YDW9ZWs/s1600/maternity+ultrasound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcKvOpsAe8H3GPMzo2cUUJUfglr3QNOsIKstA9gP6so4I3Z05xrBQgqUpsmSYyIlnPt50VoxHotyF0vyIRYLfvzMxtrTFIa8cuU9t-smF1NTXkJ-fQ_Bqz67bkc0QZiBCUqp9YDW9ZWs/s640/maternity+ultrasound.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzct9Tpyjt6fZxdPsJ-EQxl8UFIrMsR-DWSp6UKaVKHD9oLYDsaj8BS9-g4o-A1wiHjL3kAxWvDfVj1WgmgpjVwFRh24T9keJ-Il3WnWhaTr_-bBOTSYjXPL40C0zJ_reRDs05PNvT6cM/s1600/maternity+scrabble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzct9Tpyjt6fZxdPsJ-EQxl8UFIrMsR-DWSp6UKaVKHD9oLYDsaj8BS9-g4o-A1wiHjL3kAxWvDfVj1WgmgpjVwFRh24T9keJ-Il3WnWhaTr_-bBOTSYjXPL40C0zJ_reRDs05PNvT6cM/s640/maternity+scrabble.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Brooke has an awesome blog called <a href="http://secondtimemommy.blogspot.com/">My Boysterous Life</a> and also has a <a href="http://begphoto.blogspot.com/2012/01/awaiting-baby.html">photography blog</a> - check out my talented friend, you won't regret it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-43417440978392965862012-01-14T20:44:00.001-06:002012-01-14T20:45:57.618-06:00Lots and Lots of ChangeI have been "MIA" from my blog for the last few months and that's because there has been a lot of change in our house. Mostly good change but it's definately thrown me out of my routine and I haven't been spending as much time as I usually do enjoying my hobbies such as blogging, reading, photography, and scrapbooking. In fact for about 2 months I didn't do these at all. Why you ask? Well I'm happy to say that we are expecting our first child in February!!! I will be at the 35 week mark on Monday. <br />
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Now that I'm past those lovely 2 months of constant nausea and vomitting, I decided it's time to get back to what I love and start documenting and enjoying this journey - I know I won't have much time after the baby arrives but let's do it while I can! (Note: I wrote this months and months ago but couldn't hit the publish button....sad I know). <br />
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So here's the short version of the story. We began seeing an infertility specialist earlier this year and on June 17th after flying the red eye home from a business trip in Las Vegas, I went to the specialist to find out why we haven't been successful getting pregnant on our own. My husband couldn't join me because he was in St. Louis for the weekend watching the Cardinals play with a friend of his. The doctor explained the medical reason behind why we were having trouble conceiving and we came up with a plan to address the issue. I commented to him that I expected my period that week and it said that travel, jet lag, etc could be the reason. I decided that night to take a test just to put my mind at rest and what a surprise it was when I saw the test read "POSITIVE". I completely flipped out and ran around the house in utter shock yelling and scared the dogs a bit unfortunately. <br />
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I then decided that I couldn't tell this to David over the phone so I spent the next day planning a big surprise for him since I would tell him on Sunday which was also Father's Day. I spent the day buying baby items with a fatherly twist and finally fell asleep Saturday night. I got a call at 3 am from the friend that my husband was away with to find out that the taxi they were in to take them back to their hotel was in an accident and David was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. He said he would be fine but was complaining of neck pains but it didn't make it any easier. I wanted to scream on the phone "he needs to be ok, he doesn't know yet he's going to be a father" but I didn't. A few hours later I got to talk with him and felt much better. He was a little banged up and had a sore neck that would keep him in a brace and physical therapy for a few weeks. <br />
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Finally when he got home on Sunday, the dogs greeted David at the door with bibs around their necks that said "daddy's princess" and "daddy's rock star". I then gave him a gift bag with a card for him<br />
to open. He was clearly in a lot of pain and wasn't very coherant when he opened the card that was signed from "Tanner, Stella, and Baby A" and didn't even flinch. I asked him if he read the card and he said yes but clearly he hadn't so asked him again. He read it again and looked at me and said "are you pregnant" and I of course had tears streaming down my face and said yes. He looked very confused which I'd understood because I told him on the phone on Friday what the doctor had said.It finally hit him and he was very happy.<br />
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It was until the next day until it fully hit him thanks to prescription paid meds but when it did it brought tears to my eyes. Here is where the fun really begins.....<br />
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<div align="center"><strong>12 week ultrasound</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFVyysBKVtfGT6XCDhxIF9X9bwXlzaO2iB7Rq3VEtNs1VXbiEV1tkpvt_XWQFYOCaMhfmiSTOCTXA6h0aH4-VjeyGracJEJu-4q9gQ1Lo5SyV-AEd4WMMceMDDPbfX00Ik4d7Gx23oOc/s1600/12+week+ultrasound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFVyysBKVtfGT6XCDhxIF9X9bwXlzaO2iB7Rq3VEtNs1VXbiEV1tkpvt_XWQFYOCaMhfmiSTOCTXA6h0aH4-VjeyGracJEJu-4q9gQ1Lo5SyV-AEd4WMMceMDDPbfX00Ik4d7Gx23oOc/s640/12+week+ultrasound.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
It's a Girl!!!!!!!</div><div align="center">(picture taken at 34 weeks)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC40B7sqBEWicasWUIIAPNoCk_Udw-umBFt9LqbUBe2edMaaLH8ol4-VgvYm-fwMWi7l5d1hh6L5niMR-rrF-BOa09QIBqr3UsFFZlxeq7YMFOb7g0Qt1Rrw-5k1eg9d5XGaf9rIHFLY/s1600/maternity+ultrasound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC40B7sqBEWicasWUIIAPNoCk_Udw-umBFt9LqbUBe2edMaaLH8ol4-VgvYm-fwMWi7l5d1hh6L5niMR-rrF-BOa09QIBqr3UsFFZlxeq7YMFOb7g0Qt1Rrw-5k1eg9d5XGaf9rIHFLY/s640/maternity+ultrasound.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><em>Written August 2011, Posted Janaury 2012</em><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-77832762874187686692011-08-07T21:10:00.000-05:002011-08-07T21:10:32.374-05:00Sunsets and FireworksI know I have been MIA but I have a really good reason, honestly I do. I'll share more with you later once I start feeling a bit better. Major milestone today though, I downloaded pictures from my camera that go all the way back to th 4th of July. I even did a bit of editting, major accomplishment for me! I know you may be sick of fireworks but I think you'll like these. ENJOY!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SltpKYzTOMI/Tj9Eh-23JsI/AAAAAAAADGU/C3XvPacI3PI/s1600/029A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SltpKYzTOMI/Tj9Eh-23JsI/AAAAAAAADGU/C3XvPacI3PI/s640/029A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaTcDvKeZNQ149DKqBtT17khXvDOL4Rn32rokxWdd2_xvK_F3Owar5FlKxFiST_FNlcuX5ra3adaqli4nHCih9dyNxmTu360I6zuGj-JWKq4rQlHuo8qmvC8oubAH-JOtqV3zMarGlB8/s1600/040A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaTcDvKeZNQ149DKqBtT17khXvDOL4Rn32rokxWdd2_xvK_F3Owar5FlKxFiST_FNlcuX5ra3adaqli4nHCih9dyNxmTu360I6zuGj-JWKq4rQlHuo8qmvC8oubAH-JOtqV3zMarGlB8/s640/040A.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4Lo-j8fhVJZbMQI6R_q7Tm16SNjUaomaEEttKv2JQM0VTHsIJ6AWgbds8BfCQQ80srTJBvMhHsiS4hmn3rIcKSmCB5iAh1VHmdU3EQYp0gVezMyc4vs3BP_4Yqw_wufWBa-zwjDUUvw/s1600/048A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4Lo-j8fhVJZbMQI6R_q7Tm16SNjUaomaEEttKv2JQM0VTHsIJ6AWgbds8BfCQQ80srTJBvMhHsiS4hmn3rIcKSmCB5iAh1VHmdU3EQYp0gVezMyc4vs3BP_4Yqw_wufWBa-zwjDUUvw/s640/048A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAejX-fIDUQLgnQ56-4-mkOm0BlZF60xDguAbopY3uyaR_FZ-KNBVMwGPcxQBQfYc8zKIwVyiQ7Br7Kloc_Cpy9wzWdtlEaLJX3GV8XkRvuY59xGwOy0dvKWvdvqtzktTI9kLHCqRau4/s1600/065A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAejX-fIDUQLgnQ56-4-mkOm0BlZF60xDguAbopY3uyaR_FZ-KNBVMwGPcxQBQfYc8zKIwVyiQ7Br7Kloc_Cpy9wzWdtlEaLJX3GV8XkRvuY59xGwOy0dvKWvdvqtzktTI9kLHCqRau4/s640/065A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-42675177850818423552011-06-19T00:01:00.000-05:002011-06-19T00:01:01.937-05:00Sunday Scavenger Hunt [06-19-2011]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's Sunday and that means it's time to share your shots from this week's <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">Scavenger Hunt</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's hop right to it. Enjoy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Emotion</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFDiF95RruU/Tf1VBqbielI/AAAAAAAADEQ/Tk3T7fwYKv4/s1600/Me+Ra+Koh+204A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFDiF95RruU/Tf1VBqbielI/AAAAAAAADEQ/Tk3T7fwYKv4/s640/Me+Ra+Koh+204A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>From a Flower's Point of View</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wM0aDYZIFnk/Tf1WWH7XcqI/AAAAAAAADEc/zO0JXR30kos/s1600/024A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wM0aDYZIFnk/Tf1WWH7XcqI/AAAAAAAADEc/zO0JXR30kos/s640/024A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Natural Form</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7usaklV3u1Y/Tf1VabqltiI/AAAAAAAADEU/ERVzfZC1CEs/s1600/068A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7usaklV3u1Y/Tf1VabqltiI/AAAAAAAADEU/ERVzfZC1CEs/s640/068A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Letters</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pUZzXcQ-aBU/Tf1V1eW9MhI/AAAAAAAADEY/beeH45-FKbk/s1600/macro+163A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pUZzXcQ-aBU/Tf1V1eW9MhI/AAAAAAAADEY/beeH45-FKbk/s640/macro+163A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Bliss</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9-BkvS2qcy8/Tf1T-Bnn6eI/AAAAAAAADEM/w_QpZbGgZRw/s1600/Me+Ra+Koh+309A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9-BkvS2qcy8/Tf1T-Bnn6eI/AAAAAAAADEM/w_QpZbGgZRw/s640/Me+Ra+Koh+309A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I hope you enjoyed the hunt. Let's see what <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">Ashley </a>comes up with for next week!</div><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-38781965956202603142011-06-13T21:32:00.000-05:002011-06-13T21:32:17.186-05:00My Macro Photography Excursion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday I went to a state park along Lake Michigan for a macro photography excursion with my local camera club. My favorite macro instructor Lou was there to guide us and I was eager to soak up even more of his macro wisdom. It was unseasonably cool on Saturday morning and it was overcast which actually made for the perfect conditions to shoot macro in. The dew stayed on the plants the entire time we were there which made for some great shooting. As you can probably tell, I was stoked about shooting macro but then the evil camera shake thanks to my hunk of junk tripod ruined my day. I took about 250 pictures and only a handful are something I would share with you. While showing my husband my downloads, he said "did you get any that turned out?!" - thanks honey, that's going to cost you a new tripod and ballhead! Seriously, if you don't have a good tripod you are fighting a losing battle and let's just say that I lost. The shoot wasn't a complete loss, I learned a lot and got a few good shots. Here's a few that I haven't already shared with you. Be gentle with me, remember I went to battle with my tripod....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LOFIKF_OJFw/TfbEOzbcv5I/AAAAAAAADCk/fj0XAIX_FKc/s1600/macro+191A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LOFIKF_OJFw/TfbEOzbcv5I/AAAAAAAADCk/fj0XAIX_FKc/s640/macro+191A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-doOCJAXMe6w/TfbEQPgO60I/AAAAAAAADCw/kdsTFZscwDc/s1600/macro+077A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-doOCJAXMe6w/TfbEQPgO60I/AAAAAAAADCw/kdsTFZscwDc/s640/macro+077A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wMhU1A8v5RlorYO0lZnoE0HIb5yZvKTTZLmp4KFwfdkUMJrCiO1l_QZpVJBS79n1kwhdzFM27qOYMArvqD8CMCPDlVihBR0jpvAwhVpDEqkBdoUYingBtjiII1ZXgPOAWirUdeIHvEY/s1600/macro+089A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wMhU1A8v5RlorYO0lZnoE0HIb5yZvKTTZLmp4KFwfdkUMJrCiO1l_QZpVJBS79n1kwhdzFM27qOYMArvqD8CMCPDlVihBR0jpvAwhVpDEqkBdoUYingBtjiII1ZXgPOAWirUdeIHvEY/s640/macro+089A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD_96rVQsm55CB3xq5rbbvS8OZ5xOLY29RixJUjhq98kudzqCGstc_nXBTQFVyqpAXX5Bb59P0Zg64IafCjdZhNRiwuwW5YqwGhbBD9J-b5kovfIk-qSqo55m4zpz0G_gUWHPW_LYZv4/s1600/macro+045A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD_96rVQsm55CB3xq5rbbvS8OZ5xOLY29RixJUjhq98kudzqCGstc_nXBTQFVyqpAXX5Bb59P0Zg64IafCjdZhNRiwuwW5YqwGhbBD9J-b5kovfIk-qSqo55m4zpz0G_gUWHPW_LYZv4/s640/macro+045A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The photo above is out of focus (thanks camera shake) but I like the composition so I decided to share it anyways. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gzC75Uj9L7s/TfbEQ3_mZAI/AAAAAAAADC4/_GgaZOFxqm0/s1600/macro+012A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gzC75Uj9L7s/TfbEQ3_mZAI/AAAAAAAADC4/_GgaZOFxqm0/s640/macro+012A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5lw63WeFbgQ/TfbERdLos1I/AAAAAAAADC8/a25FjToMqCM/s1600/macro+218A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5lw63WeFbgQ/TfbERdLos1I/AAAAAAAADC8/a25FjToMqCM/s640/macro+218A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> In addition to the beautiful wildflowers, we had two deer that decided to pay us visit.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This one I honestly heard growl at me...yes a deer, I honestly heard a growl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7vwWNTpAqxVI5BADSRqitpG09CmkBoFlZnHcAjfyjMkZTvEJ5Xk4Kslh08C-lK8eXMTyi_LbQjZ_2UAWkYLq3gsZuHzZmc_5UGrId3KVOMp_QCaYR-HG_CPuHk2y7aYL-T_fMk4kbu8/s1600/macro+126A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7vwWNTpAqxVI5BADSRqitpG09CmkBoFlZnHcAjfyjMkZTvEJ5Xk4Kslh08C-lK8eXMTyi_LbQjZ_2UAWkYLq3gsZuHzZmc_5UGrId3KVOMp_QCaYR-HG_CPuHk2y7aYL-T_fMk4kbu8/s640/macro+126A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">I also couldn't resist the opportunity to take a photo of the group while they were working their magic.</div><div align="center">There is a whole lot of kneeling going on and next time someone says "bring knee pads", I'm going to listen to them and throw fashion out the window for the time being. I thought I wasn't ever going to feel my poor knee caps again. I am heading to the Home Depot this weekend to get a pair and while my hubby is away for the weekend, I'm going to order that new tripod and ballhead. He'll never say "did you get any good shots" again...LOL</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-54339677552771149652011-06-11T23:11:00.000-05:002011-06-11T23:11:12.955-05:00Scavenger Hunt Sunday [06-12-2011]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Life has been very busy but I've managed to spend some time with my best buddy - my camera! While I didn't hit these prompts "out of the ballpark", I did take them all this week - baby steps....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I did on the other hand go to the Cardinals vs. Brewers baseball game in Milwaukee and unfortunately the wrong team won! Boo who.....my hubby is still pouting, he really is. I enjoyed snapping pictures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Without further ado, <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">let's start the hunt</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Long Exposure</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went on a macro photo excursion at a state Beach Park this morning and afterwards decided to get creative with exposure at the beach. Yes, it's overexposed but I love the look. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H7n9T2xv7T4/TfQ0ewQI1QI/AAAAAAAADB8/KN4v2n1P5vs/s1600/macro+225BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H7n9T2xv7T4/TfQ0ewQI1QI/AAAAAAAADB8/KN4v2n1P5vs/s640/macro+225BW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Shapes</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had a million ideas for shapes but decided I liked the squares and triangles that you see here from the dome roof at Brewer Stadium. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pV2yLkoK0fk/TfQzspFLL8I/AAAAAAAADB4/MkLOp2bs6x4/s1600/Card+vs+Brew+024A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pV2yLkoK0fk/TfQzspFLL8I/AAAAAAAADB4/MkLOp2bs6x4/s640/Card+vs+Brew+024A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Green</strong></div><div align="center">Gosh, I couldn't pick just one since I took about 300 green pictures this weekend. </div><div align="center">I demonstrated constraint and am showing you only 2.</div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TN8_vXpEXhE/TfQ0fJqS0FI/AAAAAAAADCA/Odjd9zEWxXk/s1600/macro+065A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="584" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TN8_vXpEXhE/TfQ0fJqS0FI/AAAAAAAADCA/Odjd9zEWxXk/s640/macro+065A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4vy00rFz2Yk/TfQ0fbVHxDI/AAAAAAAADCE/6seF7bZDAJM/s1600/macro+051A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4vy00rFz2Yk/TfQ0fbVHxDI/AAAAAAAADCE/6seF7bZDAJM/s640/macro+051A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9q0E9wUgAqfZhRMYQYk0nzi7Jd1Xl_5e2qLIgsQskdaN-vOfHY7lvy2PmY5zGOcorZ4bYQ1IRgZNbAspDFgpSQxc-JCGyy204aP9jJnhZrmjyMXOzO-cDDzkd9oK579H9UJ8Afd0t5wo/s1600/macro+monday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9q0E9wUgAqfZhRMYQYk0nzi7Jd1Xl_5e2qLIgsQskdaN-vOfHY7lvy2PmY5zGOcorZ4bYQ1IRgZNbAspDFgpSQxc-JCGyy204aP9jJnhZrmjyMXOzO-cDDzkd9oK579H9UJ8Afd0t5wo/s200/macro+monday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Fruit</strong></div><div align="center">This is a bit of a stretch but I think these wildflowers are "fruit" to all of the animals.</div><div align="center">I know LAME, but give me a pass on this one. [thanks]</div><div align="center">I did however have 2 deer run right in front me while on the trails. One started snorting at me, really it honestly sounded like snort. I just snapped away and they eventually started eating and ignored me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jT3X5-HLofE/TfQ09oSyX5I/AAAAAAAADCI/0TQj_sqKxC8/s1600/macro+096A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jT3X5-HLofE/TfQ09oSyX5I/AAAAAAAADCI/0TQj_sqKxC8/s640/macro+096A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Childhood Memory</strong></div><div align="center">We didn't travel a lot as kids but I do have fond memories of going to Brewer and Cubs games as a kid. Too bad I couldn't dare cheer for either team anymore given I married a die-hard Cardinals fan. </div><div align="center">This picture is our friend's son, Ryan, he takes his baseball and the national anthem very seriously.</div><div align="center">Despite the loss, it was a great game, and a fun evening at the stadium. No cotton candy but it brings back fond memories indeed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-wkIYldmLA/TfQzsJ5TV0I/AAAAAAAADB0/Z26HnTP-l5U/s1600/Card+vs+Brew+018A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-wkIYldmLA/TfQzsJ5TV0I/AAAAAAAADB0/Z26HnTP-l5U/s640/Card+vs+Brew+018A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd-7lYBps6GMOypbqsq1iRtUJh25JYW3ZxYm9aDkUSiOUlhEHr5jM47W0gZ-pZw8WZNF-XOJnfJ24oecHM3SPYfpVsTfCB8W9244huVtsW9UMa7ERXLwyoZlL5EL2dzKhbhvZWE21VfU/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-65663182373550423662011-06-05T00:50:00.000-05:002011-06-05T00:50:33.721-05:00Scavenger Hunt Sunday [06-05-2011]I've been a bit of a <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">scavenger hunt</a> slacker but trust me, I've been taking lots of pictures!!! I am still recovering from my Me Ra Koh photography workshop and editing the beautiful pictures that I was <strike>forced</strike> able to take in the worst lighting conditions possible. Despite my lack of time this week I was determined to participate....with the help of my pictures taken in the last month! Cheating maybe, but this is all about enhancing our photography skills and pulling our cameras which I've done. So here we go on another hunt.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Hot, Hot, Hot</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my futures so bright that I gotta wear shades.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7f09_opNmuHrWe9LXCpnqQuJ7LxfvX8JNGRDeaoSomgCMF4B2LbyG0JaXndxqK4b08Fx8BZQQxCxWmMnYl-oynjLXnEEbAry4x2TAeTJG9DGdEjIlXPTRczFzTTZqh1KioaNjTfGpIyQ/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7f09_opNmuHrWe9LXCpnqQuJ7LxfvX8JNGRDeaoSomgCMF4B2LbyG0JaXndxqK4b08Fx8BZQQxCxWmMnYl-oynjLXnEEbAry4x2TAeTJG9DGdEjIlXPTRczFzTTZqh1KioaNjTfGpIyQ/s640/034.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Finding Form</strong></div><div align="center">even in places you are not "technically" allowed to shoot.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Pei8BJMOsU/TesTGddJOBI/AAAAAAAADA8/c7LW2kvZMQ8/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+538A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Pei8BJMOsU/TesTGddJOBI/AAAAAAAADA8/c7LW2kvZMQ8/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+538A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Front Page of the News</strong></div><div align="center">or a Magazine Cover. This is a headshot I took of my friend Erica from my workshop. She was beautiful to photograph which made it so very easy. I even learned how to use my external flash which I used here. I'm in LOVE with my flash now. Wanna know the secret, send me a comment and I'll share. It works every time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJxcpdyH51xtfpRtry42CIz8DFOVur8OKx7kWUQTsUi4cg42eNautkZ9kutjd31BPKZztXRN6E6pAusrMyCLWID3ScKHxBZ3hvfdCAV43eDr5HCDN9IaYAdwF-LnbORL5XTUfwaEm02Y/s1600/Me+Ra+Koh+2+106A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJxcpdyH51xtfpRtry42CIz8DFOVur8OKx7kWUQTsUi4cg42eNautkZ9kutjd31BPKZztXRN6E6pAusrMyCLWID3ScKHxBZ3hvfdCAV43eDr5HCDN9IaYAdwF-LnbORL5XTUfwaEm02Y/s640/Me+Ra+Koh+2+106A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Chore</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My dad is retired but always seems to be working or doing chores for others. Here he is filling up the backhoe so that he could help to dig out the foundation for my brothers new garage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1eXvXCBM_e0/TesT2bF4DQI/AAAAAAAADBA/RQb8fRpMk4I/s1600/276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1eXvXCBM_e0/TesT2bF4DQI/AAAAAAAADBA/RQb8fRpMk4I/s640/276.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Beads</strong></div><div align="center">or sprinkles, they are oh so beautiful and delicious. This was my first cake pops attempt and I was surprised by how delicious they were. However they are a labor of love!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FuWywJbiZwM/TesUipQSGoI/AAAAAAAADBE/9GPlpkyXa_A/s1600/Kamryn+Anne+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FuWywJbiZwM/TesUipQSGoI/AAAAAAAADBE/9GPlpkyXa_A/s640/Kamryn+Anne+013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLAHzLCnKOVMElJ3m-rMlzv3y5rkR-lrC8-fzUYu0urpFEp8G3wpvYKFhH3qoH5Szq6PdiMwJZj0emEQ2OXeNg4IHz8_HXGnl0h1zhnYejOO5E4lD4ywTJYQJBgleRFPTUkWk7RXCTXw/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLAHzLCnKOVMElJ3m-rMlzv3y5rkR-lrC8-fzUYu0urpFEp8G3wpvYKFhH3qoH5Szq6PdiMwJZj0emEQ2OXeNg4IHz8_HXGnl0h1zhnYejOO5E4lD4ywTJYQJBgleRFPTUkWk7RXCTXw/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-4650669621716015862011-05-30T23:38:00.000-05:002011-05-30T23:38:53.140-05:00Sweet, Sweet ZaraIt's <a href="http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/05/peoples-choice-may/">People's Choice at I Heart Faces</a>, as well as <a href="http://my3boybarians.com/sweet-shot-tuesdays/">Sweet Shot Tuesday</a>, and I sure shot a lot of sweet faces this past weekend at <a href="http://www.merakoh.com/">Me Ra Koh's Confidence Workshop</a>! I am bursting with inspiration, confidence, and lots of dreams after 2 solid days and look forward to sharing more with all of you soon. In the meantime, here is one of my favorite shots.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lyo2qL9B7zg/TeRZHbUKUKI/AAAAAAAAC88/cHfN-CiQOH4/s1600/Me+Ra+Koh+204A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lyo2qL9B7zg/TeRZHbUKUKI/AAAAAAAAC88/cHfN-CiQOH4/s640/Me+Ra+Koh+204A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzj3njwNxBcupFQ3EFZeaJ_4L82RztRljwQ94VAUW3TeK6MldK3hqt7OCtNxzM7iveytkdbr6yN7J02cB0qoYejzaQWrxN-oW-EbaZzPvTi3V5LDLS1cmWvFAVOeHclQ6wb6buJm7xoGI/s1600/I_Heart_Faces_Photography_125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzj3njwNxBcupFQ3EFZeaJ_4L82RztRljwQ94VAUW3TeK6MldK3hqt7OCtNxzM7iveytkdbr6yN7J02cB0qoYejzaQWrxN-oW-EbaZzPvTi3V5LDLS1cmWvFAVOeHclQ6wb6buJm7xoGI/s1600/I_Heart_Faces_Photography_125.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEGFyUUk5_OkfjwNGhIoWusszpgW7GuRIgWaT4Ee5fF8iI58cFlkbFmq97sOCOtQYil4FMx1Hxl52KcfhbI-CWqr6IGiR5UhxTRoQkxptr0PZ6gesMq18CI5gHADIP3PZ4NGYZL3l2PY/s1600/sweetshotbutton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEGFyUUk5_OkfjwNGhIoWusszpgW7GuRIgWaT4Ee5fF8iI58cFlkbFmq97sOCOtQYil4FMx1Hxl52KcfhbI-CWqr6IGiR5UhxTRoQkxptr0PZ6gesMq18CI5gHADIP3PZ4NGYZL3l2PY/s1600/sweetshotbutton.png" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-47152761105695135572011-05-24T21:55:00.000-05:002011-05-24T21:55:27.146-05:00Building my Photography ConfidenceI can't believe in 3 short days I will be meeting <a href="http://www.merakoh.com/">MeRa Koh</a> and attending her Confidence Photography Workshop in Chicago! I did a whole lot of begging to get my husband on board but I know he'll be happy in the end because I'll be so much more confident as a photographer and a woman. If you are not familiar with MeRa, I encourage you to visit her <a href="http://www.merakoh.com/">blog</a>. She is a regular on the Nate Berkus show and she's also had her work featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. [Sidebar - sniff, sniff - I will miss watching her show everyday, I literally grew up watching the show]. I will be attending the workshop with 25 uber talented women and I look forward to learning so much from them too. <br />
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If you are looking for a great photography book on taking pictures of babies, you'll definitely want to purchase MeRa's best selling book, <a href="http://www.merakoh.com/buy-your-baby-in-pictures/">Your Baby in Pictures</a>. I really love the book and I think it's a great book for any new parents even if they are using a point and shoot. And yes, I am going to be that nerd that gets my copy autographed!<br />
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I'll share much much more when I get back on Monday! In the meantime, keep snapping away. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.merakoh.com/buy-your-baby-in-pictures/"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCpcYPTnWBYJnuadQc-ailduGAAZ41mDBF7UBPSUzrtamPChzR_MgLZyc9vlgRzG4fddB3m22djn0BPyd9wfrKA5CWP8svJO-bVa_Ub7Y0nWV-CraTJTfwn1af3RXXgfXaghNk1qTBEg/s640/buy-you-baby-in-pictures.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-88159996017354385122011-05-16T18:38:00.000-05:002011-05-16T18:38:24.553-05:00I Heart Faces - Flowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This week I thought I would try out a new photo challenge through <a href="http://www.iheartfaces.com/">I Heart Faces</a> and it turns out that this week the challenge is "flowers" - my favorite! Who doesn't love a beautiful picture of flowers?! This picture was captured at the Conservatory at the Lincoln Park Zoo and I just love it. Let's see if she is a winner. It's also SOOC - do I get bonus points for that?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6HxGUczPMU/TcZOwCMZ9eI/AAAAAAAAC5A/LEy3P-hR2Sk/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+149A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6HxGUczPMU/TcZOwCMZ9eI/AAAAAAAAC5A/LEy3P-hR2Sk/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+149A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.iheartfaces.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfJVoQdy3sehWFKkyQRfGsevyFtAOesQcEekdFF8oq4vSiHEN2jk89Yd7r_lwtS4QsVHxd_c7vbxxXCEF_BLS_EGi2_5_DyAC_ICG3SLznrcQcoFcO7G0oVC27_eBVxHAVeawPqpJjkM/s1600/I-Heart-Faces-button.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-34578883474763777142011-05-15T00:19:00.000-05:002011-05-15T00:19:43.359-05:00Scavenger Hunt Sunday [05-15-2011]<div style="text-align: center;">Running a little behind with getting my post up and ready so let's hop right to it this week. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Here we go on another scavenger hunt.</div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Bring me Flowers</strong></div><div align="center">or dandelions if you are a 4 year old that doesn't know the difference.</div><div align="center">Here's my niece giving my mom some "flowers" from the yard.</div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N7cXZcfboK0/Tc9euJNmK7I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/yDIrYUwph28/s1600/284A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N7cXZcfboK0/Tc9euJNmK7I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/yDIrYUwph28/s640/284A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Visual Contrast</strong></div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpvL6j26cQ8/Tc9e3UuS0bI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/DdA3N72_UVQ/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+068A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpvL6j26cQ8/Tc9e3UuS0bI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/DdA3N72_UVQ/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+068A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Friendship</strong></div><div align="center">with <a href="http://secondtimemommy.blogspot.com/">Brooke</a> is something I treasure dearly. </div><div align="center">BTW - the reflection from the "bean" is making my thighs appear larger than they really are - honestly!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSmRQD3lUiK4G96SGcVemJqcefyydEabgD585n0gEgMpNOfFqv4ZbOhfp-41G3Myl9IZVLfxJ60gt1BQUvQCHCETXpP-SPfw00NvWMPS-pM0dhluTZK-gNxo0xQViuBvYR50p0RIqGYU/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+733A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSmRQD3lUiK4G96SGcVemJqcefyydEabgD585n0gEgMpNOfFqv4ZbOhfp-41G3Myl9IZVLfxJ60gt1BQUvQCHCETXpP-SPfw00NvWMPS-pM0dhluTZK-gNxo0xQViuBvYR50p0RIqGYU/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+733A.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div align="center"><strong>Dark</strong></div><div align="center">What beautiful shots of Buckingham Fountain after dark. And if you don't have a tripod with you don't worry, grab a garbage can nearby, it does wonders!</div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWjnK1Fmck0eDYehYp6jmNR68WhDFVhyepFsB2M_9ItiFhbIRwBYlI1J9L2uxbRkUvVc8Yv__-GngNVYp-HXUpLsO-mQoTW0EAWB-p9b5gR9wtBxBcrYvnGuZg3jbj4mW-vuhiRFHFuo/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+940A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWjnK1Fmck0eDYehYp6jmNR68WhDFVhyepFsB2M_9ItiFhbIRwBYlI1J9L2uxbRkUvVc8Yv__-GngNVYp-HXUpLsO-mQoTW0EAWB-p9b5gR9wtBxBcrYvnGuZg3jbj4mW-vuhiRFHFuo/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+940A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Before and After - well let's save that one for another hunt shall we?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjh34Evu9rE9F1Sz-oL6y_IIiTAFG8TDf6XSYJjZWB5vgnRvCK5pmGddyW6CZcE99pUC3Dh0loLAae8grw8q5J50M2gTJuRbHYHt0qK47U37mjSXcwygBZ2hTkdzUXYSTyDsg9-oeUh4/s1600/sweet+shot+Tuesday.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjh34Evu9rE9F1Sz-oL6y_IIiTAFG8TDf6XSYJjZWB5vgnRvCK5pmGddyW6CZcE99pUC3Dh0loLAae8grw8q5J50M2gTJuRbHYHt0qK47U37mjSXcwygBZ2hTkdzUXYSTyDsg9-oeUh4/s1600/sweet+shot+Tuesday.bmp" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmUQeCeFO0S0NrUrY-gOnUFGrENUW0yIzaU2qQ3ZTvWGC0Aef-KTcvmVbVU362IOdhl3ZgEbCbKph4PjO16AgMS0we4Am3vYizCHUAqmQSvqbwcPHT6jehaMSOJbtDDXqWVnARqd-XPo/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmUQeCeFO0S0NrUrY-gOnUFGrENUW0yIzaU2qQ3ZTvWGC0Aef-KTcvmVbVU362IOdhl3ZgEbCbKph4PjO16AgMS0we4Am3vYizCHUAqmQSvqbwcPHT6jehaMSOJbtDDXqWVnARqd-XPo/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-40864607156510458812011-05-08T03:22:00.000-05:002011-05-08T03:22:53.401-05:00Scavenger Hunt Sunday [5-8-2011]This past week I went on a photo excursion to Chicago with my dear friend <a href="http://secondtimemommy.blogspot.com/">Brooke from My [Boys]terous Life</a> and we had an absolute blast! We went to so many places that I lost track but I have my 966 pictures to remind me of all of the wonderful places we went to that day. Ouchy.....I also had an aching body to remind me off all of the walking, squatting, and running around that we did. I was WIPED out to say the least but the pictures I captured were truly worth it. <br />
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<div align="center"><strong>SOOC</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>or Straight Out of Camera for you non-photo type.</strong></div><div align="center">Easy peasy....that's how I like to roll. Photoshop is evil, yup I said it out loud.</div><div align="center">This was my favorite capture of the day and I think it's just perfect.</div><div align="center">This was taken at the conservatory at the zoo and despite the very warm temps it was totally worth it.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6HxGUczPMU/TcZOwCMZ9eI/AAAAAAAAC5A/LEy3P-hR2Sk/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+149A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6HxGUczPMU/TcZOwCMZ9eI/AAAAAAAAC5A/LEy3P-hR2Sk/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+149A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Sprouting</strong></div><div align="center">Took a million pictures for this and here are my 2 favorite. Sorry I couldn't pick just one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wcvtdyCGYWU/TcZOxYB4ihI/AAAAAAAAC5M/noZfTlKs7BM/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+824A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wcvtdyCGYWU/TcZOxYB4ihI/AAAAAAAAC5M/noZfTlKs7BM/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+824A.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The city of Chicago did a beautiful job of making the area around Millennium Park so beautiful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-izIGV2Ni4-A/TcZO48NEZnI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/cZdS3OH_ma8/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+816A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-izIGV2Ni4-A/TcZO48NEZnI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/cZdS3OH_ma8/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+816A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Isn't it Ironic</strong></div><div align="center">that my husband spent his birthday on Saturday at a play house for my niece's 2nd birthday?!</div><div align="center">He's a kid at heart which is one of the things I love about him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hUNSG4_RuS4/TcZKXV2UeQI/AAAAAAAAC44/N4sFQzlmJW0/s1600/168A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hUNSG4_RuS4/TcZKXV2UeQI/AAAAAAAAC44/N4sFQzlmJW0/s640/168A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Lazy</strong></div><div align="center">Something I definitely haven't been lately but the animals at the zoo sure were.</div><div align="center">My ape buddy just sat there chewing away on those sticks all morning. This is how I plan on spending my Sunday morning this week, sitting around doing nothing but munching on some good food.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZO-e9A9DXOU/TcZOvOhxhFI/AAAAAAAAC48/hj3-0Zvba2Y/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+025A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="572" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZO-e9A9DXOU/TcZOvOhxhFI/AAAAAAAAC48/hj3-0Zvba2Y/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+025A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I couldn't forget about him, this is the definition of lazy, don't you think?</div><div style="text-align: center;">BTW, their horns are made of hair not bone. Good to know right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0P5F-UJREM/TcZOxD-MSII/AAAAAAAAC5I/pjJd-lZ513Y/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+212A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0P5F-UJREM/TcZOxD-MSII/AAAAAAAAC5I/pjJd-lZ513Y/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+212A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Smells like Spring</strong></div><div align="center">at Millennium Park when you have beautiful tulips and trees blooming all around you. </div><div align="center">Isn't this just breathtaking?! I took a lot of pictures here and I'm sure you'll see more soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kxsGMLWKyE/TcZOyNKGYfI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/Y6hm9w9kkNU/s1600/Chicago+Photo+Safari+829A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kxsGMLWKyE/TcZOyNKGYfI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/Y6hm9w9kkNU/s640/Chicago+Photo+Safari+829A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Linking Up To:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3cHfFCap31AkhfUYpZXsCIoueUu7PHE2cJkHxfK58tk-28byvo6MoJ43sP2JXl0xFUp4DJhb0HPOc2zLVzOH6r8iQyQY6Ih5J1k0k2IEyHLjSvye3y_Gt24DaGFN_r_3wE7l8DiWlcA/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3cHfFCap31AkhfUYpZXsCIoueUu7PHE2cJkHxfK58tk-28byvo6MoJ43sP2JXl0xFUp4DJhb0HPOc2zLVzOH6r8iQyQY6Ih5J1k0k2IEyHLjSvye3y_Gt24DaGFN_r_3wE7l8DiWlcA/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-45401697945190106882011-04-30T23:38:00.000-05:002011-04-30T23:38:40.281-05:00Sunday Scavenger Hunt [05-01-2011]It's been a busy week but I still managed to have my camera by my side since after 5 long weeks, my new lens finally arrived in the mail! I ordered the Canon 24-105 f/4 L lens and have been patiently waiting for it to ship and it arrived on Thursday. I have felt like a kid in a candy store ever since and I think it's going to be my new BFF. I am going on a photo safari all day Sunday with a camera club I belong to but most importantly my friend Brooke from <a href="http://secondtimemommy.blogspot.com/">My [Boys]terous Life</a> will be my sidekick. We will be seeing the City of Chicago through our camera lens all day and we are both uber-excited. We start out at the zoo and will hit many of the fun sites throughout the day. It will be nice to be with so many photographers and I won't be shy about asking questions, I have a long way to go but I'm an eager learner. Can you imagine a full day of shooting with no one saying "hurry up" or sighing because you are taking pictures of things that others think are not good photo subjects?! It's going to be a fun day and I hope the 20% rain stays at bay. Cross your fingers for a successful photo shoot kind of day. I'm sure I'll post a few shots from the day during our next <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">Scavenger Hunt with Ashley</a>. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself, below are the Sunday Scavenger Hunt items from this week.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Architecture</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is a shot from the bottom of a 5 story spiral staircase at work. I work in an all glass building that has some beautiful architecture and it's a beautiful place to take pictures in my spare time - lol.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq9v4biPMsJ0sLLyghyV6QFAv4JzRS9EbI4i7qajIRFM128IBHpIBlwQCRfE9Bklci5xGJRb9pFsJLku1KQt54l6DyclixNIhmzXN7kBUsVI_-3B2F3fzn5XUzBT1o15Gh2xYS_ZhkJg/s1600/photography+class+007+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq9v4biPMsJ0sLLyghyV6QFAv4JzRS9EbI4i7qajIRFM128IBHpIBlwQCRfE9Bklci5xGJRb9pFsJLku1KQt54l6DyclixNIhmzXN7kBUsVI_-3B2F3fzn5XUzBT1o15Gh2xYS_ZhkJg/s640/photography+class+007+%25284%2529.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong>Rimmed with Light</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had my first newborn photo shoot on Friday with my friend's 9 day old newborn. I was unfamiliar with the concept "rimmed with light" until I read <a href="http://www.kateyeview.com/2011/04/exploring-with-camera-rimmed-with-light.html">Kat's blog</a> which was very helpful. I love the side lighting here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWKtK0cjbaOQ9mkOyWvjgYUoliJkurvy7zpG-DINSRQUkZ3-XqEkyw3grF4Zmp-uzpfzITSkPwM5DSaQYdRnLpVdI0k_Xw-PuRjdS_gibOTtVRZR2_4DGy-BLioN_IvmwyfmhFETCA4g/s1600/Kamryn+Anne+239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWKtK0cjbaOQ9mkOyWvjgYUoliJkurvy7zpG-DINSRQUkZ3-XqEkyw3grF4Zmp-uzpfzITSkPwM5DSaQYdRnLpVdI0k_Xw-PuRjdS_gibOTtVRZR2_4DGy-BLioN_IvmwyfmhFETCA4g/s640/Kamryn+Anne+239.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Toes or Feet</strong></div><div align="center">You probably guessed it, what's sweeter than a newborns feet?!?! I took many shots of her feet and had a hard time choosing one since chubby baby feet are just the cutest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5MVUu_XMd8g/TbzUk4D8RkI/AAAAAAAAC30/RZ5eyDZLc1o/s1600/Kamryn+Anne+191A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5MVUu_XMd8g/TbzUk4D8RkI/AAAAAAAAC30/RZ5eyDZLc1o/s640/Kamryn+Anne+191A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>This is my favorite</strong></div><div align="center">shot from my newborn session on Friday.</div><div align="center">I just love the lighting and how peaceful she looks in this picture.</div><div align="center">She did a great job posing with her hands for this shot too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1DqSEGlpJrg/TbzUlKRD1qI/AAAAAAAAC34/Ywlq86tbhd8/s1600/Kamryn+Anne+147W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1DqSEGlpJrg/TbzUlKRD1qI/AAAAAAAAC34/Ywlq86tbhd8/s640/Kamryn+Anne+147W.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Shades</strong></div><div align="center">or blinds. Not so creative but I ran out of shooting time thanks for the thunderstorm coming our way. </div><div align="center">Even though they are simply blinds I love the lines and how interesting something so simple looks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fVqH5D8GtkI/TbzYFr9lkOI/AAAAAAAAC4A/dQwy8AyJegg/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fVqH5D8GtkI/TbzYFr9lkOI/AAAAAAAAC4A/dQwy8AyJegg/s640/010.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
Linking Up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlIapwQ7B5Fa6a6ZDE_0GCyuKN788rKb2qy5JQPPEoedHLz_cxK1aNYcW_0S0H3JsaPw4rPycsf0O3gl2BF3lW5S4b7urZuKYKY1A5fYAblvyNfM3TCfKY6IVB7T3mGEe2IX6f69cj7k/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlIapwQ7B5Fa6a6ZDE_0GCyuKN788rKb2qy5JQPPEoedHLz_cxK1aNYcW_0S0H3JsaPw4rPycsf0O3gl2BF3lW5S4b7urZuKYKY1A5fYAblvyNfM3TCfKY6IVB7T3mGEe2IX6f69cj7k/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8DlvQ_ZNGi_7rNKQlQBrLb0Dm0gc6gbB5fj7eVpCkk8ToH-BhUdk4hP0orMXuTlOuW0SsSHVFKsxcvllQ6vMc38-4FbRoF_xYlqqqe-aOtdDk_xLKCsO-jeQjUjZ1NizP8vih-IR1r4/s1600/button+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8DlvQ_ZNGi_7rNKQlQBrLb0Dm0gc6gbB5fj7eVpCkk8ToH-BhUdk4hP0orMXuTlOuW0SsSHVFKsxcvllQ6vMc38-4FbRoF_xYlqqqe-aOtdDk_xLKCsO-jeQjUjZ1NizP8vih-IR1r4/s1600/button+5.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoXmHPoKbE27hQrZpuZOcbgUn-lOIHVxkW7nXn-9195YoylQDxSpsz1sZrF8Vq2cauCLJjNIhP1NQcXFWndzDAYWNnHaTZMhhb6iD77euII88c20pAFFOxs1nC707AUHZo5wFOfWCsOQ/s1600/5215906986_d63709102d_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoXmHPoKbE27hQrZpuZOcbgUn-lOIHVxkW7nXn-9195YoylQDxSpsz1sZrF8Vq2cauCLJjNIhP1NQcXFWndzDAYWNnHaTZMhhb6iD77euII88c20pAFFOxs1nC707AUHZo5wFOfWCsOQ/s1600/5215906986_d63709102d_o.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-16631562444989534582011-04-26T21:02:00.000-05:002011-04-26T21:02:06.132-05:00Cupcakes and Pink Cheeks<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Pink</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">bunny ears,</div><div style="text-align: center;">whiskers,</div><div style="text-align: center;">jelly beans,</div><div style="text-align: center;">sprinkles, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and peeps.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9fgQ1VqlLqI/TbdvUeVfSWI/AAAAAAAAC3I/r1nydUB6Tos/s1600/097A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9fgQ1VqlLqI/TbdvUeVfSWI/AAAAAAAAC3I/r1nydUB6Tos/s640/097A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Move over Martha......I was a cupcake baking and decorating machine this past weekend.</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was my first attempt so please be nice but I think they turned out decent considering I'm a cupcake virgin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeD_XLLMtAkAPlUB42gZkDB3p3MXZUsIqU9p74f2BpIoD7NlrH93edt2PUGaSSt44wvhwT6_HdVHS6jyhbPhPLMrRyKDjYZaz9YvNAD-vgKyfCzhoU2eCet_ELIEUCvRixYKIS4SYDgc/s1600/115A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeD_XLLMtAkAPlUB42gZkDB3p3MXZUsIqU9p74f2BpIoD7NlrH93edt2PUGaSSt44wvhwT6_HdVHS6jyhbPhPLMrRyKDjYZaz9YvNAD-vgKyfCzhoU2eCet_ELIEUCvRixYKIS4SYDgc/s640/115A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sweet Baby <strong>PINK</strong> Cheeks </div><div style="text-align: center;">What is a sweeter shade of PINK than a newborn born 2 weeks early just in time for Easter.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Meet Kamryn or Kami who is the daughter of good friends of ours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Qa6vj9C4x8/TbdvTpb7e7I/AAAAAAAAC3A/9Bat8xNVBBc/s1600/050A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" i8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Qa6vj9C4x8/TbdvTpb7e7I/AAAAAAAAC3A/9Bat8xNVBBc/s640/050A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Peacefully sleeping</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXJsKi8XHchDfF31y3NO2K6uiex5VtJHhpfP9WMrn5Hj4TVRxLRA-npTDpB1hunQv4TwLedw-pKo3WRSWKqnjrBmLzOg8g5FjIu3M-eq0WKUGB5QpuDf-F7eBrYFav_8efT3sy5p5I2o/s1600/046A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXJsKi8XHchDfF31y3NO2K6uiex5VtJHhpfP9WMrn5Hj4TVRxLRA-npTDpB1hunQv4TwLedw-pKo3WRSWKqnjrBmLzOg8g5FjIu3M-eq0WKUGB5QpuDf-F7eBrYFav_8efT3sy5p5I2o/s640/046A.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and now making her first Easter appearance 1 year earlier than expected.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She was born 2 weeks early and was a whooping 8 lbs.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Imagine if her mother went full term?!?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-IVDoN3KsuU6y9LGIu9ASfX3xuDTjWyTMtiqxB_8S6diamOWO9cFd643A6zm8FQ7yqsPggSgHrYRqbW0kAvvy4qHsXNl5eacr-dUcQwuoU0_s2iGX8ol3ewdD8qzXLeC9ab6mfYPOUs/s1600/031A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-IVDoN3KsuU6y9LGIu9ASfX3xuDTjWyTMtiqxB_8S6diamOWO9cFd643A6zm8FQ7yqsPggSgHrYRqbW0kAvvy4qHsXNl5eacr-dUcQwuoU0_s2iGX8ol3ewdD8qzXLeC9ab6mfYPOUs/s640/031A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and now she is getting ready to leave the Easter festivities.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Not happy at all, I guess she doesn't want to leave the party after all. </div><div style="text-align: center;">She made that clear when she started crying.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kb-UnpnpftQ/TbdvSpwtSLI/AAAAAAAAC20/cu1wC-FQrjA/s1600/042A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kb-UnpnpftQ/TbdvSpwtSLI/AAAAAAAAC20/cu1wC-FQrjA/s640/042A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I have my first newborn session with Kami and her Mom on Friday afternoon. Very excited but nervous. Cross your fingers and send me positive photography vibes that all goes well. I have some fun ideas planned and as long as the baby has a full tummy and sleeps soundly we should be good to go. Also great lighting is probably what I am most nervous about. <br />
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Linking Up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPuuCinQ0v6T22tBozFd4A1UVC7Id100JmOiK9JS3lnGegO85OEG61QLhOXrjJekFCtTzmpoCTPpwMmhfgWvyRwCTEyZl7YZlV4vh2ymi1Bfs5fdDl4ECMvC_5vItDNckTezs8dS4dww/s1600/youcapture4-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPuuCinQ0v6T22tBozFd4A1UVC7Id100JmOiK9JS3lnGegO85OEG61QLhOXrjJekFCtTzmpoCTPpwMmhfgWvyRwCTEyZl7YZlV4vh2ymi1Bfs5fdDl4ECMvC_5vItDNckTezs8dS4dww/s1600/youcapture4-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-43442537087385896132011-04-24T06:00:00.001-05:002011-04-24T06:00:02.120-05:00hoppy easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliMefkF0gx4v09FFz3VKgJGH0pZhrWZz9tXkIv6kl6UklVJZi8V5j-BFPXrS0LXiWtmy1PBZ1rXPtz3ISMwdiMPwTlVteN3sLgLwfviLyIgEwg8BG51XnI22VTBZ4gNslyK05024ZNqQ/s1600/hoppy+easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliMefkF0gx4v09FFz3VKgJGH0pZhrWZz9tXkIv6kl6UklVJZi8V5j-BFPXrS0LXiWtmy1PBZ1rXPtz3ISMwdiMPwTlVteN3sLgLwfviLyIgEwg8BG51XnI22VTBZ4gNslyK05024ZNqQ/s640/hoppy+easter.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-90873893554413478792011-04-23T21:20:00.000-05:002011-04-23T21:20:04.852-05:00Scavenger Hunt Sunday {04-24-2011}Happy Easter! I am so happy to find some much needed time this week to snap a few pictures as a part of <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday</a>. I've missed a few challenges recently and boy have I missed them! I am STILL waiting for my news to arrive after I ordered it 5 weeks ago so unfortunately I am limited to 1 prime lens and my telephoto.....I really miss having a lens with a better range. My lens is shipping from Japan so needless to say shipping is slow getting out of the country. When it arrives don't worry, you'll hear me yelling from the rooftop!<br />
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<div align="center"><strong>Reflections</strong></div><div align="center">of me while sitting at a stoplight with my husband. At least the sun is shining - finally!<strong></strong></div><div align="center">Not a very exciting pictures but at least I am participating this week, right?!?!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAyitNHh92CHG3szPOj7pk0a_SQMyCTT-XZjUvLQs02ztZ-vw2gvNGI8ZgjEdhOFPWuaKUarbHgfJlccKbzAyVreWtGcCn8ZYuoYKUxO9UsDT84SL0ciefCz3WkhTU96R67h5maXIO_o/s1600/020A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAyitNHh92CHG3szPOj7pk0a_SQMyCTT-XZjUvLQs02ztZ-vw2gvNGI8ZgjEdhOFPWuaKUarbHgfJlccKbzAyVreWtGcCn8ZYuoYKUxO9UsDT84SL0ciefCz3WkhTU96R67h5maXIO_o/s640/020A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><strong>Guess what this is.</strong></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sOTAPt94hoT9kJ_Q9rXroRX-IxTQHjAZbQmIBhd9LJj_dvZ8Q2ti0I8Hwyw-DDcxFOGzce9_21LGT-rB2MF8oGau58Rts9FrPkl6mM1JX2WHBFtyreZVSMIB9zg2k3UwnUxwxAao_ps/s1600/Recently+Updated6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sOTAPt94hoT9kJ_Q9rXroRX-IxTQHjAZbQmIBhd9LJj_dvZ8Q2ti0I8Hwyw-DDcxFOGzce9_21LGT-rB2MF8oGau58Rts9FrPkl6mM1JX2WHBFtyreZVSMIB9zg2k3UwnUxwxAao_ps/s640/Recently+Updated6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">Still can't guess what it is? It's my new secret weapon for wrinkle free skin! It's my much loved Rodan + Fields night serum that I put on each night before my age fighting night cream. My friend <a href="http://secondtimemommy.blogspot.com/2011/02/miracle-fixer.html">Brooke over at My Boysterous Life</a> blogged about her love of the Rodan + Fields products and as a dear friend of mine I knew it had to be good if she liked it that much. So good that she talked her twin sister Beth into becoming a consultant! Interested in learning more check out <a href="https://bethham.myrandf.com/">Beth's website</a>. </div><div align="center">Also look at <a href="http://secondtimemommy.blogspot.com/2011/02/miracle-fixer.html">Brooke's results</a> from using their acne system - unbelievable!</div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>What's inside</strong></div><div align="center">my cupcake carrier today? I made some Easter cupcakes for Easter and I was surprised by how fun they were to make today. I may now be baking and decorating cupcakes every weekend.</div><div align="center">I decided to make some Easter bunnies and then one's with green grass, Easter eggs, and peeps too.</div><div align="center">The Easter bunnies turned out better than I thought. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GT9rUFUwsFY/TbOAXkJ87wI/AAAAAAAAC1s/HjCfiw4vClE/s1600/116A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" i8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GT9rUFUwsFY/TbOAXkJ87wI/AAAAAAAAC1s/HjCfiw4vClE/s640/116A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Playtime!</strong></div><div align="center">My big child loves to play video games and it happens more frequently than I would like. </div><div align="center">While I was decorating cupcakes, here's what my husband was doing.</div><div align="center">Playing Xbox......notice the headset?! That's so he can play online with his other adult friends.</div><div align="center">Who knew video games were so popular for adults!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aIOijdCj_88/TbOAX5YCgHI/AAAAAAAAC1w/WL4CKnKIltI/s1600/Recently+Updated8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" i8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aIOijdCj_88/TbOAX5YCgHI/AAAAAAAAC1w/WL4CKnKIltI/s640/Recently+Updated8.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><strong>Lawn & Garden</strong></div><div align="center">This called for a visit to the "lawn & garden" section of the Home Depot!</div><div align="center">But the second picture of the UGLIEST toad I've ever seen was found on my lawn in the backyard today.</div><div align="center">I was in the yard doing work and let's just say I thought my dogs left something behind for me until I realized it was alive! Yes, I screamed and ran but then grabbed the camera. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZ5H2XKpejM/TbOAYQygPaI/AAAAAAAAC10/tRribL0g8Fc/s1600/Recently+Updated7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZ5H2XKpejM/TbOAYQygPaI/AAAAAAAAC10/tRribL0g8Fc/s640/Recently+Updated7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>Linking Up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kwGDalDZufBDE1SkdyUaDLpABH_QqPpWiN8ZRn_R8w8OVZTUaueiC-Vi6fhjozyoZo9X7Bfk6YewSeIIXXEcfYMny3b13AzdSNJccMBSND8fwAHhz-qzadvmNrrEX5LweLSqBb4Sw5s/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kwGDalDZufBDE1SkdyUaDLpABH_QqPpWiN8ZRn_R8w8OVZTUaueiC-Vi6fhjozyoZo9X7Bfk6YewSeIIXXEcfYMny3b13AzdSNJccMBSND8fwAHhz-qzadvmNrrEX5LweLSqBb4Sw5s/s1600/scav+hunt.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2wDx65MrA6lMmtEN6cOJZOYkmHB77TVXA6JTDAJMDcGZCxR-DNkabnU40EThkb-9AEAu2gryhfIebBe3r_gTbEzIVVR6EKMIPDI7gnRT4zIZDmcRgxicSuNh1MI_gErZolxuZjektcw/s1600/2743792210105677381S200x200Q85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2wDx65MrA6lMmtEN6cOJZOYkmHB77TVXA6JTDAJMDcGZCxR-DNkabnU40EThkb-9AEAu2gryhfIebBe3r_gTbEzIVVR6EKMIPDI7gnRT4zIZDmcRgxicSuNh1MI_gErZolxuZjektcw/s1600/2743792210105677381S200x200Q85.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZsgTY4HmAByisnLyk8Cs1xXNEcn5w8jX8YNVJeu78umnUKVQ-M9UpvHMUHhLLsH86Rf3OOj-ANZHa8WYzSb-36G1Z_kOcm7X6zl-zN6qGjNKrj8ARJiskopuO_HReotb0JqvYKiB3SU/s1600/ShabbyBlogsSweetLifebutton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZsgTY4HmAByisnLyk8Cs1xXNEcn5w8jX8YNVJeu78umnUKVQ-M9UpvHMUHhLLsH86Rf3OOj-ANZHa8WYzSb-36G1Z_kOcm7X6zl-zN6qGjNKrj8ARJiskopuO_HReotb0JqvYKiB3SU/s1600/ShabbyBlogsSweetLifebutton.jpg" /></a></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-71805025185099134772011-04-17T19:37:00.000-05:002011-04-17T19:37:36.847-05:00Happy 7th Birthday Tanner!Today our baby Tanner is 7 years old! I remember getting him when he was 9 weeks old and only 2 1/2 pounds. Now 7 years later he is about 11 1/2 pounds and absolutely spoiled rotten. He was the only dog in our house until 4 months ago when we rescued Stella from a puppy mill. He is still adjusting but we love him even when he is a "grumpy old man" towards her at time. After an afternoon stroll this afternoon we decided to snap a few pictures of Tanner on his 7th birthday. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B-4d_71THQg/TauERy9I32I/AAAAAAAAC1I/434dV4CuqIY/s1600/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+018A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B-4d_71THQg/TauERy9I32I/AAAAAAAAC1I/434dV4CuqIY/s640/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+018A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Posing in front of his birthday cake - which still looks brand new after celebrating 7 birthdays!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PpCpOgp3cd8/TauERjU9cYI/AAAAAAAAC08/YjsAxxzeabs/s1600/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+003A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="604" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PpCpOgp3cd8/TauERjU9cYI/AAAAAAAAC08/YjsAxxzeabs/s640/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+003A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Look at those eyes, he is hoping that I will put the camera down for a few minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQy2mS06kNQ/TauER-WuDcI/AAAAAAAAC1A/UX9tbXrsRyE/s1600/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+011A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQy2mS06kNQ/TauER-WuDcI/AAAAAAAAC1A/UX9tbXrsRyE/s640/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+011A.jpg" width="590" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> If there is a treat around, Tanner can sit or lay down and plead with those adorable eyes for hours!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSV3KUQGCW0VwjVRkBSvXzL1TOmvCAXtyWHNtbtw6p-Ik30gKJVJBFyo6YDCnZZMqlt9r8kSfFDuIlMOkRrEum1diLjdmbx6yXCL1gR9yTkXtoXpyeVlg2uiOxVBjtLaMby4UewnwHqwQ/s1600/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+033A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSV3KUQGCW0VwjVRkBSvXzL1TOmvCAXtyWHNtbtw6p-Ik30gKJVJBFyo6YDCnZZMqlt9r8kSfFDuIlMOkRrEum1diLjdmbx6yXCL1gR9yTkXtoXpyeVlg2uiOxVBjtLaMby4UewnwHqwQ/s640/Tanner%2527s+7th+bday+033A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">Last but not least, me and the Tan Man.</div><div align="center">I love you Bubs!!!!</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/354/24900276C38C4068221F822A659900C9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540600166341850102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457000300504314176.post-28849724004207531772011-04-09T21:33:00.000-05:002011-04-09T21:33:16.233-05:00Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4*10*2011]We finally had some Spring weather on Saturday and we spent quite a bit of time outside when I wasn't inside doing my spring cleaning. The kids next door kept coming over to play and we hid Easter eggs, played on the swing set, and climbed trees. I took pictures while playing with them for this week's <a href="http://www.ashleysisk.com/">Scavenger Hunt</a>. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>1 - Motion</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kids are always in motion and diving onto the swings head first to pretend to be some super hero.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DIDpmVF7LaI/TaEQqR8tcII/AAAAAAAAC0Y/3zr4LVkCmH8/s1600/049A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DIDpmVF7LaI/TaEQqR8tcII/AAAAAAAAC0Y/3zr4LVkCmH8/s640/049A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong>2 - Waiting to Click</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">Getting a genuine smile from a child is trickier than you think since they love to give those fake smiles.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I captured this shot right after Liam won the pot of money after playing Left, Right, Center.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ibcgzuy0tkE/TaEQqIiNngI/AAAAAAAAC0U/32sJ6mo4UCs/s1600/065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ibcgzuy0tkE/TaEQqIiNngI/AAAAAAAAC0U/32sJ6mo4UCs/s640/065.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong>3 - In Fashion</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's Spring and isn't "Easter" attire in fashion? Bunny ears and all. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It is in fashion if you are a 4 year old little girl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG6y1kiII2ogFXonDr4ZDr7tPGK5WiaYys-acWIoxsCoy-sXDZHhDObM7A-XkZqPyTzhsKHe_a-oMDVGAguJwMpRXlbElq37_ousDvjznG5_q8ht_Nw5GVrknXzL7x1PLR15SM_KwgBE/s1600/047A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG6y1kiII2ogFXonDr4ZDr7tPGK5WiaYys-acWIoxsCoy-sXDZHhDObM7A-XkZqPyTzhsKHe_a-oMDVGAguJwMpRXlbElq37_ousDvjznG5_q8ht_Nw5GVrknXzL7x1PLR15SM_KwgBE/s640/047A.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong>4 - Animal's Perspective</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">When I am taking pictures of Tanner & Stella I usually end of getting down on the ground so I'm at their level. Can you imagine eating so close to the floor? You can see Tanner at chow time, I have raised bowls for him because that's what I would want if I was a dog.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GfmELroil48/TaEQSPjmZBI/AAAAAAAAC0I/emhmioZ_9p8/s1600/165A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GfmELroil48/TaEQSPjmZBI/AAAAAAAAC0I/emhmioZ_9p8/s640/165A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><strong>5 - Many</strong></div><div align="center">During our Easter egg hunt today, there were many, many, many eggs to hide. They love counting them to ensure we found all of them and didn't leave any behind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7zqm1LBniQ8/TaEQduYCE5I/AAAAAAAAC0Q/ScJvY7ifgNY/s1600/025A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7zqm1LBniQ8/TaEQduYCE5I/AAAAAAAAC0Q/ScJvY7ifgNY/s640/025A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Linking Up:<br />
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