22 weeks

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. The wedding season is almost over and I can feel the excitement of july 4th being my first Saturday off since march 28th!! I really can't even begin to explain the business of this past spring and early summer. It's honestly insane. I like to compare my career to that of a CPA. They bust butt until April 15th and then get to have a life again. I kinda feel that way too.

Now for an update on the pregnancy. If you read my last post, then you know about the fibroid I have that has given us a huge scare of pre-term labor. Well, Matt and I went to see a specialist and he was so amazing. I loved his bedside manner and confidence with which he spoke. I really thank God for people like this. During the meeting my 50% chance of per-term went to like 5%!!! Praise God!! I could have kissed the doctor right there, but that would have been a little weird. Anyway, I am back to enjoying my pregnancy -minus the occasional nausea brought on by the iron pills I have to take for anemia. Apparently the fibroid or "big nasty", which is what I call it, likes to suck the iron out of me on top of what Amelia takes for herself. The doctors are going to keep a close "eye" on me and I have another ultrasound coming up the last week of June. Please continue to pray for us during the pregnancy and that the doctors would have wisdom and that Matt and I would know the questions to ask.

I am now starting to feel Amelia kick on a regular basis. She is an active little thing. I feel kinda bad for her though, I believe she has chronic hiccups. I feel them all the time and it makes me worry about her. Does that even hurt her? I can't stand to have the hiccups and it makes me think of that poor girl that was on the Today show this past year who had the hiccups for months. I just hope she can relax in there. Do any mothers reading this know what I'm talking about and if it's ok?

Finally, here are some pics to enjoy. There is one of Matt and I holding the onesie from the night we found out it was a girl. The other two are from just yesterday. I had a family shoot at furman and I had the dad take these shots of me at the end of the shoot. :)

The Big Reveal

That's right we've got little pig tails on the way. :) I can honestly say that I knew it all along. I wish I could say how I knew, but I can't. Last night we had my mom, dad, Matt's parents, Abby and Nate and Allison and Chad over for the big reveal. Matt and I had the doc put in envelopes what we were having and then everyone came over and opened up the envelopes last night to tell us what our little one was. The funny part about the whole experience was that my mom and Matt's mom had presents wrapped that would tell us what we were having afte they had all looked. One present had a blue onesie in it and the other had a pink. After opening the envelopes Matt and I were handed the appropriate present not knowing what color was in the present. We opened our present and it was a blue onesie!! What?! I was like, "I was so sure I was having a girl". Then Matt's mom said, "oh no the girl at the store wrapped them wrong". So then we figured out that we're actually having a girl. :) I am so glad to know, but I really want to smack that woman at the store for not paying attention. Good grief! Anyway, it was still fabulous and I'm so glad everyone got to share the news with us.

Now there is another part to this story and it has to do with our doc visit yesterday. During the ultrasound we learned the baby is doing fabulous and is very healthy. She looks great and has all 10 fingers and toes. We are thrilled. The other part of the visit was not as fun. Many of you know that I have 2 fibroids. They were found at my 12 week ultrasound. The doc I met with then said they would be monitored closely and that she was not worried at that point. Apparently I have one that is 8cm in diameter and is below my bladder and next to my cervix. Now that I've had the 20 week ultrasound things are a little different. The doc we saw this time seems more concerned. I have 2 risks here: one is pre-term labor and the other is a c-section. In all honesty, I could care less about a c-section if it's needed. I just want the baby to be ok. However, pre-term labor has me concerned. Right now the doc is telling me there is a 30% to 50% chance of pre-term labor. When I was told this I burst into tears and just became a puddle right there in the office. The reason for risk of pre-term labor is because with the fibroid being near the cervix it can cause the cervix to contract early b/c of pressure. I've been told to watch for any bleeding and for 6 menstrual like cramps within an hour.

The good news is that I think the doc saw how upset I was and so she said she would set me up with this amazing specialist ASAP who could give us a better assessment of the risk of my particular fibroids. I have the appointment this friday at 10am. Matt and I are very much looking forward to the appointment just to get some answers. I know that healthy babies are born all the time to women with fibriods and that most pregnancies are fine with them. Mine seem to be little more in the "scare zone" so we would really covet your prayers.

Matt has been absolutely wonderful through this whole experience. He has comforted and encouraged me and has continued to point me to Christ. I honestly can't imagine a better husband. He prayed for the 3 of us last night as went to bed and I've never felt more comforted and secure in my life. I don't know what will happen, but I trust that my God does and for whatever reason we are meant to have this experience to bring glory to Him, for that alone, I am grateful. :) Please continue to pray for us as we will need lots of strength and wisdom to make it through.

So if you've read this far, then you deserve to know what we're naming our little girl. Her name will be Amelia Ruth. The first name is one Matt and I just loved and Ruth is for my dear sweet grandmother who I miss everyday. :)

pics are coming soon...

Little Feet

For Mother's Day my mom made me these cute little booties for the baby to wear home from the hospital. I just think they are the most adorable thing I've ever seen. What a great gift! It's hard to believe the baby's feet will be this small and cute. I can't wait to kiss them. :) I think she's also going to make a little jacket to go with them and we're going to change out the color for pink or blue once we find out what we're having. YAY! Speaking of that, our doc appointment is for June 2nd to find out the sex and we are so excited. We're having all the parents over for dinner and giving them envelopes and together they will open them and tell us what we're having. I am beyond excited to know. Matt keeps saying things like, "I'm ready to give this baby a name". I couldn't agree more. :)

17 weeks

Since my last belly update I have certainly grown. LOL I'm starting to really like my bump. It's so fun. I had a conversation with my friend Brooke the other day (she has a 5 month old) about the things people say to you when you're pregnant. So far I've gotten "are you sure there aren't two in there?", "with this fast paced world I think mothers shouldn't find out what they are having" (said after I said I couldn't wait to find out) "you're huge", "you are showing a lot", "I didn't get sick at all". Anyway, I just had to get these out there. Mainly because it's funny. If I didn't have a husband that told me how beautiful I am while pregnant these comments would probably get to me, but most of the time I feel cute and I think that is good enough. :)

My morning sickness has started to subside. Praise the Lord!! I seriously wanted to die. I still take some zofran only when necessary. I'm also starting to get that second trimester boost of energy, which feels great and helps me get a lot done with the photography. Sleeping has gotten better as well. I bought this pillow called a "snoogle" from target and I love it. It's this cylindrical pillow shaped like the letter "c". In fact, Matt calls it the "letter c". He's not such a fan b/c we can't snuggle when I'm wrapped up in it. LOL poor fella. Last night we both got a chuckle because I said, "I'm sorry baby, but I have to sleep with letter c tonight". I guess you had to be there. :)

Last week we went to the doc for a check up and regular testing. I am proud to say that so far I've only gained 5lbs! I'm very happy about that. :) We also got to hear the heart beat and it was 155bpm. I absolutely loved that sound and started to cry when we heard it. Matt just held my hand with a big grin on his face. love him.

So finally here are some pics taken this past sunday on Mother's Day at my in-laws house. I got so annoyed with matt because he wouldn't make a normal face at the camera so this is the best one. what a turd. I also wish i still had on the pink dress i wore to church that morning, but this will have to do. :)

love you all...

Baby Bump Revealed

Ok so here are my first baby bumb pics. Let me warn you they are not glamorous, which is very sad considering my career. This is straight up after a walk with kenah no makeup and no shower. HA!

I've always said that when we got pregnant I would document my growing belly and here I am waiting until 14 weeks to do it. How sad. So far pregnancy has already changed everything for me. I'm sure that is strange for some moms, but for me it's true. I've been really sick in my first trimester and now all I have to say is "thank goodness for zofran". This cancer drug has made life possible for me. I really tried my hardest to go without drugs and after puking for almost two months with no relief I couldn't stand it any longer. Pregnancy has also changed my view of Matt and our marriage. This is such a sweet time for us and I honestly can't get enough of him. I want him around all the time and every time I look at him I think about what features he has that our little one will have. Desiring to have him around all the time is new to me. I'm not a very clingy wife and like to do things on my own a lot and I've always been fine when Matt is out of town, but now it's like I'm sad all the time when he's not here. I also just love to hear his voice. It's like the best sound in the world. :) One last way pregnancy has changed things for me is of course my body. Duh!! It's so weird to think of a life growing in you and how protective you become automatically. Also, just watching my shape change and my skin look different has been interesting as well. Over all the experience has been wonderful, scary, sweet, and fun.

I promise to post more belly pics as things progress. Please pray for G and that he/she will be health and happy. :)

Liv

Sugar Cookies

As you can see I've been doing a little baking. :) Matt and I had two Christmas parties to go to Saturday night and I really wanted to bring something fun so I got Matt's mom's sugar cookie receipe and whipped these up on saturday. My mom was up for a visit so she was actually with me the whole time and helped greatly in making these little beauties.

This first image is of the huge cookie we made for just Matt. These are his favortie holiday treat and he's been eating them his whole life so mom actually made the suggestion to make a really huge one for him (mainly to keep his paws off the ones for the party) and give it to him when he got back from his bike ride. It was really cute. I told him to close his eyes and then when he opened them the cookie was right there. I think the cookie was about 6in in diameter. LOL

The Cosby Show

Why is it that I love this show so much? I couldn't really tell you except that I watch it everyday during my lunch break and I'm asking for the DVD box set for Christmas. :) It probably wouldn't be the same if the show was still airing. Their problems would be so different and depressing. I'm sure Claire and Cliff would get a divorce or something. Maybe that's why I like it. It stays true to commitments. It can also bring you to tears in laughter.

So I couldn't figure out how to post the actual video so I just did a link to it in YouTube. I'm blogger retarded. This is one of my favorites where Rudy has a slumber party. You HAVE to watch to the end to see Peter, the little (or big) kid from across the street. He this one that puts you to stitches. I love it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB88RdqEZc8

Life Update

I realize this is a "no picture" post, but I really wanted to write something today and I have no pictures to post. I believe that is a first for me. :) Honestly, I've been photographing so much lately that my fingers hurt and my back. That camera is heavy to carry around every Saturday for like 8 to 10 hours nonstop. Plus the 2 sessions a week I'm averaging these days. Don't get me wrong, this is not me complaining though it's hard to tell. I'm just saying that by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is take pictures of Matt and I or really anything.

It's been very interesting working from home. I'm really proud of myself for consistantly getting up at 6:30 every morning. So many people tell me they would sleep in. I would probably have a problem with getting up so early if it weren't for the fact that matt makes so much noise in the kitchen when he cooks breakfast. It's really funny. My alarm clock is clanging pots and coffee grinders every morning. I guess there are worse things to wake up to. :) So, yeah, working from home is really cool. I get a lot done and I've found a new favorite website to help me along as I work. Check out http://www.pandora.com/. Basically this is a free radio website. You just type in a song or artist you like and it builds a radio station around your choice. Too cool. So you like every song you hear. I think it's better than satelite radio. It's also nice to have Kenah here with me for company. I stop frequently and give her pets. I've also been running with my neighbor in addition to my regular monday night soccer games. So hopefully I'll be a rock soon!

Ok I've got to jet. I have a bride coming by at 9am and need a shower. :)

This Morning

This morning I was siting on the couch watching the Today Show and editing away on the laptop. This is my usual morning routine. I know, you're jealous. Anyway, like I said, I was editing away and I here Kenah outside give me her "let me in bark". This is REAL annoying. Being the patient person I am, I waited 5 seconds before letting her in. I then decided this would be a great opportunity to share with everyone what she is like when I get the "let me in bark". While I snapped a few of her, I figured this was the perfect time to share the shots of the gallery wraps I had made and had promised in my previous post. Matt LOVED the one of the William Aiken House in Charleston. This is in our foyer. I was so excited that it went so nicely with the fun blue vases I bought at this cute shop in downtown G-Vegas last year. :) The sunflower was placed in the living room next to the back doors. We've been in the house for over a year and these are the first photographs I've had printed for the house.

I'm planning to open up a "Fine Art" gallery on my website, but I really want to compile some images from the fall on the parkway. Hopefully Matt and I can take a drive soon up there. There is a shot I've got in mind and I'm dying to get it.

Behind the Sun

As you can see I have this lovely sunflower theme going on and I'm sure you're wondering why I posted this photo. Well, a few months back I entered it in an online photo contest and I'm proud to say that it got "editor's pick". How cool! So now, I've ordered this huge gallery wrap of it for our living room. I think it will look really great in there. I'll take a picture of it on the wall to show you, which I'm sure won't do it justice.

The one you see above was also taken in this series I did. My little story is that I was at publix one day and they had sunflowers on sale and I thought "oh cool, these would look good in the foyer", but I really didn't like them there when I got home so I put them in the bedroom in the window and turned off the light and they just really popped with color. Of course, I ran and got the camera. All of them were shot in natural light and in this one I'm like pinned against the window zoomed in on the flower with the lights off and that's how I got the black background. Anyway, I thought it was cool. :)

Stars and Stripes

A couple of weekends ago Matt and I headed to downtown G-Vegas to watch the National Championship in Cycling. This is huge guys! I don't think Greenville really understood how big this race was. It's like the Superbowl of cycling. Anyway, Matt and I took our bikes and basically rode all over downtown and followed the race at as many spots that we could get to. It was really cool to watch the peloton. You get this big rush of wind when they come by. It's amazing. Tyler Hamilton ended up winning by two hundredith of a second. He used to ride with Lance during the tour.

Greenville did get the contract to have the race again next year, but they're on a type of probation and basically if the city doesn't do more marketing and advertising to build up the race and get more participation, the race is moving to another city. Boooo. So I hope you can come because it's really fun. :)

A Mattisim

Sometimes I can't tell if what is funny to me is funny to everyone else, but really who cares so I'm going to give this a shot. Let me first lay the scene for you. So I'm doing my makeup and it's 6:30am and Matt keeps walking back and forth in front of the bathroom and I realize that he's looking for pants (as he does every morning) even though I tell him where they are every time. Too cute. That's not part of the story (the pants part), but it's still funny to me. :) Ok, so yeah I'm putting on makeup and one time that he's walking by he in passes says "Hey Olivia, you ever thought about how funny the word "partypooper" is? Role that around on your tongue a few times". At first I didn't think about what he had actually said and then moments later I thought about how irresistibly cute he is and how much I just love the little things he does (most of the time). Oh, and I busted out laughing. He keeps it young for sure.

One of his other favorite things to do is to sing the Star Spangled Banner in the morning while we're getting ready. Oh for any of you to be a fly on the wall!! LOL

Charleston

Yes, I know it's been FOREVER since I've done a post. I got a little distracted with the photography blog, but I really do want to keep this one going. That being said, here are some fun shots from our two trips to charleston recently. The first trip was back at the end of July and the second one was in August. On the first one, we hung out with Tyler and Natlie but I need to find that shot of the 4 of us together. Booo. The second trip was with Abby and Nate. We had such a blast both times and it was great to just get away and not worry or thing about anything.

So, keep checking often because we'll be updating! :)

To the Mountains We Go

Matt and I decided on Sunday that we would enjoy the Lord's day by spending time in His creation. So we went to our favorite place, Pisgah National Forest of course. The sky was probably the bluest it's been all year. Unfortunately because of the drought, the leaves are not much to look at. The yellows all have a brown pigment in them, but you get the idea. So with this first shot of looking glass from the park way, I was very disappointed only because just 2 minutes before the Sun was shinning on the valley and on the red leaves in the foreground and it was on fire! It was beautiful. Since I didn't get there in time (b/c we had to turn the car around) I will always feel this shot will not live up to what was there just moments before. I'll have to wait another year for this shot. The leaves will be gone next weekend to try for it. :( I guess this is in a way one of the things I love so much about photography. It's the story behind catching the shot that makes it mean so much.



matt and I have decided to call this shot our Family Portrait. I think it's quite fitting and unique.



Isn't our darling Kenah Bear regal!

Meet Chef Matt

Typically I'm not one to take pictures of food. I personally hate going to restaurants where they have pictures of food on the menu. GROSS! Anyway, those of you that have eaten with Matt or spent significant time with him have picked up on the fact that he loves food and I don't mean just any food. The man has a sophisticated pallet and is not afraid to talk about it. This is of course intimidating to me so he mostly does the cooking. Don't get me wrong, he's not one of those husbands that turns their nose up. I just know he'd rather have it his way and that is fine by me. Ok, where I'm going with this is that I came home from church tonight (Matt couldn't go b/c he had to work late) and he was just sitting down to dinner. I figured he'd cook something for himself since I ate at church and when I got in the kitchen I saw this lovely plate of food he had prepared for himself. I thought it was the funniest, cutest thing. I really thought he only did the whole preparation thing for me when I was there. I guess not. Look at how the cherry tomatoes and the basil leaves make a berry/flower display and are placed on top of the couscous inside the bell pepper. Needless to say I immediately grabbed the camera once I realized I was staring at a master piece and of course the fact that it was just dang funny. So here's the shot I took to enjoy. Now you should all come visit and have some of Chef Matt's cooking. :)

Charles/Anders Wedding 08.24.07

This past weekend I had a wedding on Friday night, which I especially like. Friday weddings are so romantic to me for some reason. This wedding in particular was very sweet. It was a very small wedding of about 15 guests and that made it so itimate and special to everyone there. The bride is of course stunning. Everyone was fun to work with and as you can see the camera loved them all. Thanks Jennifer and Jonathan for sharing your special day with me. I had a blast.

Golden Bear

Today, I had a few moments after work to throw the ball with kenah and here are the results...



Her favorite toy...

Many things I could say here so if you've ever met or live with my dog then you know what I mean. :)


I hate 4th of July. God bless our country, but Kenah is scared of fireworks and this was the damage she did on our new house. :(


A classic Kenah moment when she really wants to go inside with you. LOL I love it!