Fire! Fire! {Utah Event Photographer}

My dad is retiring... and his retirement party was yesterday.  He asked me to take pictures of the event.  It was pretty special!  Here is a sneak peek of the pictures with the grandkids.  16 kids under age 13... not an easy thing to do! :)

I'm in LOVE... {Utah Newborn Photographer}

I'm head over heels in love with him...

WE ALL ARE!!!  Merry Christmas to all & to all A GOOD NIGHT!  (heres to me hoping!)

Bentley Joe {Utah Newborn Photographer}

I would like to introduce to you, the newest member of our family, and our true miracle,
BENTLEY JOE
He weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long.

We feel very blessed to have him here with us - safe, alive, and doing so well!
It was the birth experience that no one plans on having...

It started Saturday November 26th...
I had been contracting all day and that night Brody & I decided we should head to the hospital.  After dropping the boys off at my in-laws, we went.  After the regular routine of checking in, getting checked, etc... etc... The nurse decided that I needed to walk for an hour & then get checked again.  I couldn't believe it.  I was one day (ONE DAY!) away from 39 weeks and already a 4 & 75% effaced.  But, embarrassing enough - Brody & I walked the halls for an hour.  I was then checked again & told I had not changed (I was extremely skeptical) even though my contractions were 2 minutes apart.  She sent me home with instructions to take Tylenol if I couldn't sleep and come back if the contractions were "Harder, like takes your breath away".  I was disappointed to say the least...

Sunday, went as usual.  Contractions throughout the day & dinner at my mom's house.  We came home & got the boys in bed.  While watching the news & feeling my contractions become harder, I sarcastically told Brody that we might be going to the hospital tonight.  We went to bed at 10:30PM, and after laying in bed for over an hour & feeling my contractions get harder, longer, and closer together - I decided to get up and time them.  I had this feeling that I'd get to the hospital & the contractions would stop.  I did NOT want that to happen again.  So, after seeing on the stopwatch that my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and lasted over a minute long... it was time to go!  I woke Brody & he called his dad to come to our house while the boys slept.  By the time Brody was putting on his shoes, the contractions were sooo hard that I had a hard time even standing up.  I told him, "We need to go NOW!"  Every minute that went by, I had a feeling like I was going to deliver in the car.  It hurt sosooooo incredibly bad!  And Brody could tell because he was driving 90 mph (seriously!) to get me to the hospital.  About 1/2 way there, I couldn't hold my breath through my contractions anymore... I had to scream!  They were killing.  And a drive that normally takes 1/2 hour to get to the hospital, took us only 10 minutes. (Thanks to Brody's mad driving skills & help from our Father in Heaven.)  We drove right up to the E.R. & after 2 questions of what's your name, how far along are you... they realized that they needed to get me to labor and delivery real quick!  We were going through the regular check-in & in the bathroom to pee in the cup when a contraction came - the hardest one yet & I couldn't help but hold onto the bar & scream.  Luckily, the charge nurse, Meredith, was right there & asked me if I felt like pushing.  I said yes & she quickly got me to a room & I ripped my clothes off & barely got on my gown.  The nurse that sent me home the night before (yes, her) checked me & said I was an 8 & 80% effaced.  They asked me if I wanted an epidural & I immediately said, "Yes, but is it too late?  Will it even work?"  And then seriously one second later, my water burst!  The nurses were running around the room trying to get everything ready for the baby to come, but once they seen the cord come bursting out with my water, the nurse knew she had to act quickly.  She started YELLING at me and I felt the immediate danger in her voice.  I knew instantly that something wasn't right.  I couldn't believe what was happening & it all happened so quickly.  She was yelling, "You need to get that baby out right now!  You push him out right now!!!!  Stop screaming & push!!!"  I was in so much pain that all I wanted to do was scream.  But, her yelling at me to push put me back into the mind-set of why I was even doing this in the first place.  I had a baby that needed me to forget my pain & get him here or else it could be bad.  I didn't even know what was wrong, but an image came into my mind of my baby dead & I knew that I could not go on if my baby died.  That thought gave me the strength to push harder than I ever had and focused on getting him out regardless of the pain.  Three minutes from the time I came to the hospital, my sweet sweet baby was born.  I had never experienced so much pain and emotion in my whole life.  Some time between the prolapsed cord & Bentley being born, the nurse had called "Code Blue" so the room was completely filled with people there ready to help.  They cut the cord & four respiratory nurses grabbed my baby immediately after birth.  They began working on him with tubes, suctions, oxygen masks, etc... I kept asking if he was ok.  I didn't realize just how serious the situation was & had been.

Well, I could go on and on about my miracle baby boy, but to sum it all up...
He was born with a prolapsed cord (which means the cord came before the baby & every contraction or push, all oxygen, blood supply, everything is cut off to the baby) and in most cases the baby is either born brain dead or still born.  The nurse and our hero, Meredith, that delivered Bentley, told us afterwards that normally with a prolapsed cord, she would push the baby back up & they would do an emergency c-section.  But, because my delivery was so quick and the baby was too low - there was no other choice.  She said "When I seen that cord, I thought we were going to be delivering a still born."  I am thankful that I didn't know what exactly was going on.  In fact I'm thankful for many things:

 I'm thankful for a husband with amazing driving skills that got us to the hospital in time; three minutes meant life or death for our baby.  He is our hero.  I'm thankful for a charge nurse there that night with the knowledge & expertise to deliver my baby and the quick action she took to get me focused and motivated to push past the pain and deliver my baby safely.   I'm thankful for a Heavenly Father that loves my family so much.  There is a reason why Bentley is here.  Everything happened in perfect timing and in the right way - there is just no way it was just luck or coincidence.  I will forever be grateful to my Father in Heaven for all he has blessed me with, especially my healthy, happy beautiful baby boy, Bentley Joe.

Feeling very blessed...

Tara & Chance {Utah Maternity Photographer}

I was thrilled to meet Tara & Chance to capture this important time in their lives.  Having a baby changes everything!  This will be their first & a little boy too!  So, I can completely understand her excitement & anticipation!

But, wow!!!  She is stunning!
And yes, she is only due one month behind me... you'd never guess, right?!
There is NO WAY I looked this cute while I was pregnant with my first... NO WAY!!!

She honestly could be a model.  And she is just as sweet as you'd imagine! 

Thanks Tara & Chance!!!  It was great meeting you!  Enjoy...

See?  I told you she's beautiful!

Fire Marshall Joe {Utah Event, Retirement Photographer}

BEWARE:

This is an emotional post for me.

So, bear with me!

This December, my dear Dad is going to retire from 38 & 1/2 years in Fire Service.

I couldn't be more proud of him!

He has worked his way from the bottom of the todem pole (literally having to clean out the dirty ash trays) to being the Fire Marshall at Ogden City & North View Fire Departments.

He is such an amazing man.

I listen to his stories with complete & utter awe. The things he has accomplished throughout his work life is remarkable.  And he has touched many, many people throughout it all - including his family. 

We couldn't be more proud to call him our Dad!

Congratulations Dad!!!  We love you!

P.S.  You look so handsome in your pictures. You've aged well!

He is such a great Grandpa too!  The grandkids LOVE him & think it's pretty cool that their grandpa is "Fireman Joe"!  And the 2nd picture is of my dad at 25 years old; when he first started!!!  Such an amazing journey... right Dad?!  You are my true hero.

Halloween & Tanner's 3rd Birthday {Utah Event, Children Photographer}

Oh I can't get enough of this sweet little girl!

And don't you just LOVE her chubby cheeks sticking out of those flower petals?! 

She is pure joy!!!

And my little fireman...

Oh how I LOVE him!!!!

He is the sweetest little firefighter I've EVER met!!!

Such a content, happy little guy.

I couldn't ask for a better son.

 And... my tough army guy!
I LOVE him too!!!
Especially how he REALLY feels like a true army soldier!

He was marching around the house & calling out orders...
He makes me smile.  Every day.

Can't wait to add another bundle of "All boy" to our house... we don't have enough craziness already! :)

And.... I couldn't pass up showing some of my little man's 3rd b-day party.

The lighting was TERRIBLE!!!

Since it was in a shed at night with florescent lights...

 But, it was too fun to pass on sharing!

He wanted a snowmobile birthday party...

and this is what we came up with -

Grandpa & Grandma Anderson took him to the Treehouse, Five Guys, & Farr's Icecream!  He was one spoiled little boy.  Thanks mom & dad for giving him such a great present - your time & love!

Tanner specifically asked for donuts at his birthday party instead of cupcakes... so - as you can see from the pictures, they were a big hit!

 We had the party in "Grandma's Garage" - her new shed & we had go-cart races... with powdered donuts... need I say more???  :)  Even the adults were racing & scooting... it was great fun!

Happy Birthday my BIG BOY!!!  I love you more and more every day.
If that is even possible! :)

Anderson Family {Utah Family, Child Photographer}

What a great family!  They seriously have it all figured out.

And they even might have talked me into buying a minivan.

Really.

I'm just not quite sure I'm ready to step into the nerdy mom category, but it is practical and economical and it does have a lot of space AND you don't worry about your kids destroying it because it costs $40,000!!!

BUT,

Back to the Anderson Family.

Cutest boys.

And the nicest family you'll ever meet.

They traveled from Wyoming to get them taken.

I took Porter's newborn pictures here.  And their last year family pictures here.

And those last 2 pictures make me SUPER excited to meet my own little man... he's coming oh so soon!!!

Enjoy.

 Don't you just love chubby baby cheeks?!  He was so sweet.

Thanks Shane & Candice.

Maternity Leave

In anticipation to the arrival of my new bundle coming at the end of November/first of December...

I am taking a break from taking pictures until some time after February; except for those of you I've already scheduled & up-coming photo shoots.  And of course, you'll be seeing lots of pictures of my newest little guy when he decides to come...

Can't wait to introduce him to you.....
Until then ........   : )

Chance {Utah Baptism Photographer}

I was honored to take Chance's baptism pictures.

She is so beautiful in her white dress!

I especially loved that she chose to have pictures taken with the young man that is going to baptize her.  Her mom & him have a special relationship that goes way back and they even have a picture of him holding Chance in her blessing dress!  It's pretty special!!!

It was great getting to know you and your mom and I hope you feel as pretty as you look in your pictures.

Congratulations!!!