I'm talking about my sigh of relief.  Today was much better.  Rory's still not 100%, but this afternoon and evening were pure bliss, especially compared to this last week.  In fact, it's almost 11:30, I'm not sure if I'm tired enough to go to bed, and I'm missing my baby (and my husband).  I was just lying on the couch thinking about when she was a newborn, there were nights when I would actually love it when she'd wake up for a night feeding because that meant that I got to hold her, cuddle her, and kiss her little cheeks as much as I wanted.  I could go for one of those right about now.  {Warning:  When thinking about moments like these, never go back and look at two year old photos when your baby weighed less than 6 pounds and fit into the sleeper her baby doll is wearing today.}

Rory and I went on a little shopping trip today, and after supper and bath we played tirelessly until bedtime.  She was hopping around on all fours like a frog saying, "Ribbit!  Ribbit!" while I laughed and she finally said, "Ribbit, mom?"  So I played Ribbit for awhile, too.  What a great test to see if the money paid on my knee surgery was worth it!  We drew a school bus full of Marshall-Lanes*, a castle with a boodiful pincess, a cary dragon, and a hamsom prince.  (Translated:  beautiful princess, scary dragon, and handsom prince)  We played a little Rock Band, thank you Uncle Zachie for that.  Can I just say how little hand/foot coordination I have?  Rory loves pounding on those drums, though so it's fun for about two minutes for her.  And lastly we rock-a-byed and sang songs before I kissed my babe good night.

*  You know how the media makes up combined names of celebrity couples?  Brangelina, TomKat, etc.  Well, Rory does this, too.  Grandma Jerry, Uncle Nikki, and Marshall-Lane.  It doesn't matter which boy she is looking at, she will call both Marshall and Lane Marshall-Lane.  All one word.  I've corrected her I don't know how many times, and believe me Lane has corrected her more than me, but she still doesn't quite get it.  Anyway, now that school is back in session we get to watch Marshall-Lane get on the bus as we walk into daycare.  So tonight, we drew a bus filled with lots of Marshall-Lanes.  Makes perfect sense; doesn't it?

That's what the last week has been.  On Monday, I picked Rory up early from daycare because she wasn't feeling well.  We stayed home on Tuesday, and she was definitely sick, but was in good spirits for the most part.  By that evening, she was having a really hard time breathing, and I started to freak out a bit.  Josey was working late, so I took her into the after-hours clinic and we found out she had a bad upper respiratory infection.  So the doc gave her some medicine, including nebulizer treatments.  The next day, thanks to the medicine for the nebulizer, she was literally bouncing off the walls.  All day.  I have never seen her like that before.  She was crazy and hyper.  She completely destroyed everything in and around her crib when I tried to get her to nap, which she never took anyway.  It made for an exhausting day, and that continued up until last night when I couldn't take it anymore and quit giving it to her.  She's breathing fine now, but today…wow.  What a bear.  At one point I told her, "Rory, if you don't take a nap, mommy's going to go crazy."  She laughed.  Again little to no nap.  Lovely.

We (or maybe just I) had been looking forward to a trip this weekend to go visit one of my best friends who recently had a baby.  I was so excited to meet the little guy, but with what Rory has had this past week, I didn't want to risk going and having her get the baby sick, too.  So we're home instead.  Josey went out to Minnesota to visit his dad, so it's just Rory and I, and if the next few days are anything like today, you may be seeing a cute two year old up for sale on ebay.  Kidding…sort of! )

Thank goodness she's asleep now.  I snapped a couple of pictures at bath time, which is usually the happiest part of her day, and thankfully today was no exception.  She loves bath time, and it always puts her in a good mood, so today I didn't want it to end.  She was all shriveled up by the time I pulled her out of there!  These are nothing great photographically speaking, but they're the only pictures I've taken all week.  She looks sweet, but let me tell you…Here's hoping tomorrow I'll have my normal child back again!

Well, I'm home with Rory today.  She's sick with a fever, cough, stuffy nose, the whole works.  Sorry there haven't been any new photos lately.  I took the week off from photo sessions to catch up, and I had a photo shoot planned for Rory, but then she came down with this darn cold.  We're going on a little trip this weekend, though, so I should have lots to share when we get back.  I've taken some time today to move a few things around on the blog.  I've put all the photography related stuff on the left, and the personal stuff on the right.  In the next couple of days I should have a link on the left to a gallery of all the holiday cards I'm offing this year, so keep an eye out for that!  I've also added one other thing on the left, which I'm really excited to tell everyone about!

The Littlest Heroes Project is an effort to open the eyes of the world to a part of it that so many ignore or don't even realize exists.  There are so many children of all ages fighting illnesses, disease, and disability; experiencing things that one cannot imagine, and spending their childhood at doctor's appointments and in hospitals.  I'm so proud to be a part of this nationwide community of professional photographers who provide free photo sessions to our nation's littlest heroes.  These children and their families deserve to be recognized and honored for what they have been through, and this is a wonderful way to do just that.

Click here to see the beautiful images and read the inspiring stories of all of these little heroes.  If you know of a family with a child who has or has had a serious illness, I ask you to please contact me or check out The Littlest Heroes website for eligibility and application information.  Please help me to spread the word about this project throughout our community and beyond.  I look forward to being contacted to photograph a hero!

I can imagine how impatient you all are getting with me!  I'm trying to keep my head above water here!  Also, thanks for the awesome comment in my last post.  It means a lot.

Can you believe that I used to babysit this girl before she could even walk?  I still remember it so well, and now she's a teenager!  And check out those teeth…no braces!

And this one…she cracks me up.  When Josey and I first started dating, she thought his name was Juicy.  LOL!

Love you all!  Thanks for coming to visit.

I said I was done posting photos of Kayla, but I tried something a little different, and neither my husband nor I can decide what to think, so I thought I'd post here to get another opinion.  So, what do you think?  Kayla's mom had emailed me an inspiration photo, and this was my take on it.  Love it or hate it?

And one of a group who I guess I will claim as my family. :o) They were in town for a visit so we got out and took some family shots.

I sort of feel like I've been neglecting the blog. I've been so busy with family, photography, life, everything.  We had family in town this weekend, and today I feel like I'm getting sick. I felt horrible all day, so I left work early to come home and get some sleep before the Jeans came home.  I felt quite a bit better with some sleep, but still not 100%.

I spent some time trying to finish up the proofing on Kayla's session, and I am almost done.  There were just so many great photos; I had a hard time narrowing them down.  We had so much fun at our shoot, and I'm having so much more fun editing that I'd definitely be up for another senior!  Thanks again, Kayla for the awesome time!  Here are the last of your sneak peaks, and you should have your proofs soon.

I'm very excited to announce my holiday mini-sessions, coming this fall!  You may be thinking, "Holiday?  It's still summer!" but we all know that our lives get busy fast, so I'm giving everyone {and myself} some time to get these marked on the calendar.  Besides, Christmas will be here before you know it!

What is a mini-session, you ask?  Different from my typical one to two hour sessions, these are only 20 minutes, at one location designated by me.  Perfect for getting just the right photo to adorn this year's holiday card or to give as a gift to grandma and grandpa!  As stated below, only a limited number of sessions are available on each date, so time's a wastin'.

So, here are all the details…

Below are only a few examples of some of the beautiful custom designed cards that I will be offering.  I promise I have something for everyone, and if not, I will find something!  {Click to see larger.}

As soon as I got home, I downloaded the photos from my senior session and had to proof just one before going to bed.  First of all, this girl is gorgeous; isn't she?  Secondly, we had a great time, and it was quite a change of pace compared to the two and three year olds I'm used to working with.  Kayla was a natural, and I can't wait to get to the many many more beautiful shots that we got tonight.  Thanks again Kayla and Kathy for giving me this experience!

So, I've seen lots of other people do this on their blog, and since I don't have any pictures to post, I thought I'd give it a shot.  Just ten random things on my mind and going on around here.

1.  Rory has been obsessed with shoes lately.  She loves to slip on my flip flops and wear them around.  It doesn't matter if they're on the right feet or not, or even if she has her toes in the right place.  She walks around skidding her feet along so carefully trying hard not to let them fall off.  The other night, she had her purse on her arm and waved to me, "bye!"  I asked her where she was going and she said, "Target."  Oh, okay.  She spent several minutes in the entryway, and then eventually came up the stairs with my shoes on, and said so proudly, "bought em at Target!"  She is such a pretender these days, and I thoroughly enjoy it because it is entertainment to say the least.  And it keeps her busy.

2.  I went on quite the trip to Wyoming today.  The ride home in the plane was so bumpy and rough that I started feeling really sick.  I looked over at the guy across from me, and said, "this is going to be a looong trip home."  He just shook his head and said, "where are the bags?"  Uh oh!  We found him a bag just in time for him to…yeah you know.  Poor guy.  I am just so thankful that it wasn't me.  Then, in order to avoid the bumps, the pilots had us put on the oxygen masks and they took us up to a higher elevation.  It was the most excitement I've had at work in quite awhile!

3.  On that same trip, I finally read Randy Pausch's book, "The Last Lecture."  I had seen the on line video of his lecture several months ago, and later bought his book, but just haven't gotten around to reading it.  What an inspiration.  I definitely encourage everyone to read his book or at least watch the video.  Unfortunately, Randy recently lost his battle with cancer, but it was not before he left behind a huge part of himself and his positive attitude with thousands of people.  There were so many points that I loved in the book.  One that really stuck out to me today was this:

I used to tell anyone who worked in my research group:  "You don't ever have to worry about what I'm thinking.  Good or bad, I'll let you know what's in my head."

This is something I've thought about a lot lately, and I am trying hard to be that way myself.  It is just so much easier if you let people know how you're feeling or what you're thinking so that you can deal with it then, not have to worry about it, and move on.

4.  I have been staying really busy with my new photography business.  Right now, I'm working on some holiday card designs, and will soon be announcing some 20 minute mini sessions, which will be perfect for getting your holiday card photos and gifts.  I also have my first senior photo session tomorrow evening (we had to reschedule at the last minute), and I'm so excited for that so check back in the next few days to see some sneak peeks! 

5.  On a related note with the photography business, there have been lots and lots of hits on my blog lately, so I know there are actually people who are reading my nonsense, but nobody ever comments!  Hello?  If you're reading this, say hi and introduce yourself! )

6.  Uncle Zachie and Katie will be starting school again soon.  Zach came back today, and Rory is super excited!  She showed off and acted silly for about an hour before bedtime tonight for Zach, and she has been saying once in awhile, "Zachie, Katie home soon."

7.  Josey was gone Saturday evening, and I wanted to take a break from the computer, so I used my time to sew Rory this really cute bag.  Perfect for her beloved Dr. Seuss books.  She loved it so much, she didn't want to take the books out to read them.  Goof ball.  (And I guess I lied about the no pictures to post thing.)

8.  I have been in love with that apple fabric I made Rory's bag out of since the line came out.  I expressed my love of it to Jenny at Sweet Birdie, and she is now making a custom designed dress for Rory using all fabrics that I picked out myself, one being the apple fabric.  (Anyone recognize that sweet little girl on the front of her website?)  I cannot wait to get it, and take some photos!

9.  My newest favorite website to visit is www.thepioneerwoman.com.  If you have never read this site, you are missing out.  She is freaking hilarious, and her recipes make me hungry.  Beware, though…I'm pretty sure this lady is related to Paula Deen.  The amount of butter she uses cannot be good for the figure.  I guess that's what makes them so good; right?

10.  Have you all been watching the Olympics?  I haven't watched a lot, but I did turn on the opening ceremony the other night, and Rory laid with me on the couch for a good half an hour and snuggled and watched with me.  She was in awe of the television, and mommy was in heaven with all the cuddling.  There is not much time for that in her life these days, so I will take anything I can get!

This girl is just too much some days.  Some of the things she says just cracks me up.  Today, I had a few things planned for our morning.  We were going to head into town, and on the way I wanted to stop for a little photo shoot that I had planned.  I put her in this cute dress, and her new pink shoes to which she checked herself out and said, "Oh ma goodness!  CUTE!"  LOL!  She was looking pretty adorable. 

Well, that photo shoot didn't really turn out the way I had hoped.  Rory only lasted a few minutes before she was ticked off and started demanding that she wanted to go to the park.  (Apparently, she thinks all photo shoots are at the park; I have no idea why.)  I gave up pretty easily, and we got back in the car as she cried.  As we got closer to town, the cries turned into little sniffles and she said to me, "Sahwie, Mommy.  Crabby pictures."  She felt bad for being crabby!  How could I not forgive her after that?  So sweet.

We went to the sale at Junkyard Chic, and I scored a pretty cool antique stool.  Note to self, don't ever bring Rory to a store like that again.  She didn't break anything this time, but I'm sure I already pressed my luck far enough.  Next, we headed to the mall where she thought everything was, "BOOFULL!" and lots of "grandmas" (she calls anyone with gray hair grandma or grandpa) complimented her on how cute she was.  I think it took us an hour to get to where we needed to go and back because of the number of people we had to talk to!

Well, here are a couple of photos before the melt down.  Not exactly what I had in mind, but still pretty cute.