Anticipation!!!

Just wanted to share a few pictures we took the night before the induction while in the hotel swimming pool with the kids, and a few shots of us in the room before the baby was born.... some of these I took during hard labour, which wasn't so *hard* because of the beautiful epidural I had in my back :) Notice the picture of Rene under the clock? We were alone in the room, just sort of waiting to find out where I was at in the process.... thinking it would still be at least another hour. Baby was born at 2:28!!

I will get some of those pictures up as soon as I can!

My very best friend Adrienne, was able to find a sub at school and come spend the day in St.Albert waiting to see the new baby, it was so sweet of her to come!

TGIF!

Have a good weekend! We hope to have baby news before it is over!! 4 days over the due date.... and we are MORE then ready now ;) Tomorrow is Avery's 4th birthday... will be interesting to see if I will have 2 sharing that date!

About time I share.........

A little history first. When I had Avery.... I was already in love with taking pictures. Looking back, I have albums full of photo's that I took in elementary school right up to graduation. I've always loved looking at beautiful photographs in magazines, and drooled over wedding pictures. When Jaden was born, I was introduced to scrapbooking by a good friend of mine, Angie. I was hooked, and loved decorating the pages which focused on pictures of my family. I soon realized it was much funner to scrapbook the really good shots I had taken, and I was always at Walmart printing prints to scrapbook with. Then Avery was born....and I was trying to be a better picture taker. I took some close ups of her feet in the hospital...with the intentions of scrapbooking some amazing layouts. I then played around with these pictures in picasa which is a free photo editing software from google, which my cousin Rebeeca introduced me to. I loved that I could turn my pictures into B&W or sepia, and play around with the various settings to sharpen, soften....etc. When Avery was nearing 6 months old it became really important to me to have a really nice, professional family picture taken. I didn't want to go to Walmart, I wanted to go somewhere better. I found something 'better' by booking with a local photographer here in Whitecourt, Tanya Adams. Looking back I laugh because I was shocked at what I was going to pay to get these family pictures. I had no idea what to expect and what I was paying for. It would have been cheaper going to Sears or Walmart, but I was stubborn and saw some of her work and wanted what she could capture. She did that and more!! Though I placed a small order, buying what I could afford.... those photographs that she took are still hanging in my house. I LOVE THEM! As many of you know, I studied photography online for 2 years before purchasing my first digital SLR camera. From there I took a class at NAIT and fell in love with everything photography. I have learned so much, and have so much more to learn...it is never ending and I hope someday to be doing this full time. The business side is a bit more difficult for me, but I believe I understand what needs to happen in order to succeed and I'm getting there. I owe a lot to Tanya for her inspiration and understanding in this business.

Needless to say when the subject came up a week ago, about photographing our new baby's delivery I was sooooo excited! I have been so lucky to find someone who I get along with so well, who loves something I love, and is so good and successful at it! Tanya is a great inspiration! Please check out her blog... http://tanyaraephotographics.blogspot.com/ and from there you can follow the link to her awesome website. She has a new look (logo) that I absolutely love, and I should mention that she has been doing this for the last 10 years now! I hope to share a few special images here once this baby arrives, in the meantime, please do enjoy Tanya Rae Photographics :) :) :)

PS: No baby yet ;)

*update*

My Doctor 'says' it will happen anytime now.... she did a few sneaky moves, and figures I'll be going into labor in the next 24hrs. If not........ I am to go see her in the morning at the clinic where she will perform more 'sneaky moves' and check to see where I'm at. I went to the hospital to do a non-stress test just to make sure everything was good, and that went well. And so..............the waiting game continues ;)

PS: i think it is a boy... the heart beat was right around 115-125 and 'they' say that in that range it is usually a boy, and girls are higher. We'll know soon enough :)

A day over...

I'm okay with that. Yesterday my due date came and went, without too many thoughts that yesterday would be THE day. I believe I read somewhere that only 5 or 15% deliver ON their due dates ;) I am anxious to see my Doctor this morning and find out what the plan is now. How many days she will let me go before an induction is scheduled, if there are any concerns over how BIG this baby is...etc, etc...

Baby names.... still something that is SO up in the air. Those of you who know what you are having, I am jealous!!! Makes that job so much easier ;) Here are our picks right now.. and some of these are just names I like, which means I might have to count on my 'experience' delivering baby to convince Rene that I might have final say ;) heheheh of course I'd never pick a name he didn't like..

Girl: Halle Rae is top of the list....but we still have these if she wouldn't look like a Halle: Emma, Kiarra, Aaliyah, Mia

Boy: Cohen is top of the list...but if he doesn't look like a Cohen then we have: Jaxon, Soren, Noah

Something different

It seems that I post WAY more pictures of Avery then i do of Jaden... so here is a video of Jaden riding his dirt bike last night for the first time! He is loving it, and got the hang of it way too fast!! Where we went to let him drive around, there was a moose that was left out in the open, and bones everywhere, the skin laying out.... it was gross. Jaden points to one of the larger piles of bones and says "Look mom, DINOSAUR BONES!!" ;)

Lot's of fun, thx for looking :)

I subscribe to www.babycentre.com to get weekly updates on our little ones development. I love the updates, and every Friday I look forward to reading them..... but today I open this one! I do not have a newborn as of yet.... the crib is still empty.

"Hello Adrienne,
Welcome to parenthood! In these first days, your new baby won't do much except feed every two or three hours and sleep off and on around the clock. You may be feeling a little shell-shocked. That's not surprising, your body has been through a lot - and it's your cue to take these next few days as easy as you can. Your most important priority right now is to tend to your post-labour aches and pains, establish breastfeeding and spend time getting to know and love your baby. Concentrate on those basics and when your baby drifts off to sleep, try to take a rest yourself - the laundry can wait."

Technically....terrible. I love them anyway!

She calls herself "Scooter Girl" Notice her clothing choice? This is what she wants to wear EVERY SINGLE DAY! She loves tights and skirts.... and as long as there is pink on everything it 'matches' ;)

Avery's eyes are closed..... you have no idea how many times she does this just as I snap a picture!

Just thought I'd post a few shots from last week before we were hit by the snow storm!! All that nice light coming into my house.... i miss it already! Definately not technically correct, I wasn't paying too much attention to what I was doing (which seems to be the case for me this whole week! Oh the baby brain!)

I just thought I'd share a few anyway....

This 'winter' is supposed to end tomorrow... and my fingers are sooo crossed! Had some contractions tonight... went to bed to rest and they didn't go anywhere after that. I see the Doctor tomorrow morning....will update later on :)

Avery... growing up way too fast!

I can't believe she will be 4 in a few weeks!!

Can you believe it!? Another post in the same week? hehee

Get ready to read........... ;) I haven't posted a 'journal type' entry in some time and today I'm definately in the mood.

I'm feeling so inspired right now....... not sure what's happening but it seems that this week, everything I listen to, look at and smell is inspiring me! I think it has to do with Spring, and feeling alive again :) Today my new lens arrives and I can't wait!!!!! Also got a box full of new petti skirts to play around with. Avery's birthday is early May and I am really looking forward to taking her into town and doing a mini session so we can make some birthday invitations. I am loving the weather right now and just want to hang out in the sun, the kids are more then happy to be outside longer and later each day. They have been doing so well the last few weeks, I have to say.... with a pregnant mommy who hasn't always been in a great mood ;) and a daddy who is working so hard during the days and helping out more then ever at night.. you can imagine the parents aren't in the best of shape at the moment. Thank God Jaden and Avery have been so patient with *US*! I'm so proud of them right now....and can't wait to see them hold and cuddle a new sibling. Both of them are in swimming lessons right now, and I never thought I'd see the day where Jaden would put his face in the water. In order to 'pass' this has to happen....and on his 4th day he did it!!! Seeing how proud he was touched my heart, and Avery got right in there and dunked her head in too! I have got to remember not to under estimate them... because they always seem to be much braver then I imagine them to be. Today Jaden had a field trip to the airport and Avery to a farm. I always worry about Jaden and transportation because he suffers from severe motion sickness, but he had a blast. "Mommy, I almost puked...but I remembered to keep looking straight and it went away" :) :) :) Avery was really nervous about going to a farm, and the smell (again, both kids are pretty sensitive to smelly things!) she said it did stink because some of the animals were having babies (?!), but she said it wasn't TOO bad. Then after thinking for a second asked me if I would stink when I have my baby!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY gosh, I killed myself laughing.......................... I honestly was at a loss of what to say!

On the baby note.......... there are 6 of us due these last few weeks of April. I want to say Congratulations to Meghan and Aaron, who welcomed their baby girl a few days ago :) :) :) and Destiny and Boyd who also brought into this world a baby girl! Girls.........I am jealous of you!! You are no longer pregnant and I can't wait for that day to arrive for us!

This afternoon I am meeting a friend of mine for lunch, and with the kids at the babysitters, I plan to edit some pictures of my kids to add to my blog later this afternoon, so please check back when you can :) Thank you for checking in!