Maternity Leave: Wrap up

Ok, so I know I don't have to go back to a Monday through Friday 9-5 job. However, maternity leave is over for me and I started wedding season off with not one, but two back to back weddings.

So, before I dive back into blogging about couples in love, I wanted to leave you with a glance into the last 10 weeks of my life. My world has been changed for the better and I could not be happier. Adam provides a wonderful life for our family and I am so blessed to be able to stay at home during the week with Ethan. I do not take this for granted. I get to stay home with my baby boy, and also do what I love, photography.

I am forever grateful.

I loved him before he was born.

And now I love his sweet sweet yawns,

And the way he dreams.






I love these silly faces.



I love these chunky feet.

I love this little belly button.

And this mohawk!

I can't get enough of these baby blues.




I love watching daddy and Ethan cuddle.

And tummy time is my favorite!







I love this toothless grin.

Most of all I love the time I am able to spend with Ethan during these ever changing moments of his life. He is already growing up so so fast!

Maternity Leave: Happy Birthday Ethan Thomas

The short version:
My contractions started around 5:00pm on January 31st at 15 minutes apart. I labored through the night, went to the hospital at 6:00am February 1st and Ethan was born at 8:15am! At a whopping 9 pounds 5 ounces and 21.5 inches long, the doctor announced to the family, "He's here...and he's deliciously full bodied!"

The really long version:
My estimated due date was January 31, 2012. Nobody thought I would make it to that date, but low and behold I woke up the last day in January...still pregnant.

But, the doctor wasn't too far off. In fact it was that very day that I went into labor. I had some cramping on and off all day but didn't think much of it. Starting around 4 it was getting a little bit worse, but still not anything that I was concerned about. Adam and I decided to run some errands and go out to dinner that night.
Side not: If you are in labor, do not choose the Golden Corral as your last meal. Not only was the food terrible, but with kids running and screaming all over the place I couldn't help but wonder, "What the heck are we getting ourselves into??"
I guess I should be thankful for the lesson in how not to parent.

Throughout the evening I had to periodically stop in my tracks while the pain came and went. Still thinking they were completely random, I didn't think this could be it. By the time we got home that evening Adam told me that he had been timing these "cramps" as I called them, and they had been 15 minutes apart consistently for 2 hours. We watched a movie we had rented for the night, during which we started timing the contractions together, Adam timed the length of each contraction while I kept track of the time each one began.

By bed time they were 10 minutes apart. I thought, "I'll go to sleep, wake up in the morning and they will be three minutes apart!" I know, I was delusional. I laid in bed and 2 contractions later I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get up and move around. I spent the night in every inch of our house, timing contractions and trying to escape the pain. I tried the couch, the glider, the bath tub, the living room floor, leaning up against a wall, leaning over the counter. Nothing helped to escape the discomfort. It felt like the worst cramps you have ever had, paired with a vice wrapped around your hips, trying to squeeze you until you pop. I loathe this imaginary vice.

As the night went on I decided I needed some company, so I woke Adam up from his two hour nap. He got some last minute things together, showered, watched T.V, and video taped some of my contractions. Please don't ask to watch this...it's not pretty.

Mentally I had decided ahead of time that I didn't want to go to the hospital until my contractions were down to 3 minutes apart. Throughout the night I kept playing little mental games, telling myself "Well they are three minutes apart, but now I'm going to try to wait until 5:00am to leave the house." I kept setting little goals, and once they were reached I would make another, attempting to leave at the very last possible second for the hospital. However, there came a point where I told Adam, "We have to go to the hospital now, I can't do this anymore, I just can't take it." He kindly reminded me of all of the reasons why I wanted to stay at home as long as possible. I reluctantly agreed but told him, "If I'm not at least 6 cm when we get to the hospital I'm getting the epidural" which was not the plan! But I was in pain, and again, playing little mental games with myself. This is when my "Focus Sheet" came into play. I asked a few women who I know personally and who went through natural childbirth for some advice. I wanted to be able to imagine them telling me their advice while I was actually going through the labor process. This advice helped me tremendously.



And this chicken scratch is the method I used to track the progress of my contractions.

We stayed home as long as we could. My contractions were about 2 minutes apart and Adam decided it was time! In between contractions I had enough time for Adam to put a coat on me and for me run to the car. I had a few contractions on the way to the hospital and let me tell you, contractions in a small confined car=hell!

We got to the hospital at 6am and checked into labor and delivery. I was doubled over in pain and the receptionist looks at Adam with a straight face asks, "How can I help you?"

"Umm, my wife is in labor," Adam responded as he pointed in my direction.

The receptionist looked over his shoulder and said to the doctor and nurses in the next room, "Thinks she's having labor pains."

Thinks? THINKS? There's no thinking about it buddy. This is the real deal!

The nurse put me in a room and the doctor immediately came in to check my progress. I was absolutely terrified of hearing something along the lines of "Well you are at a two you big baby so you can't be in that much pain!"
However, the next words that came out of the doctor's mouth were,
"She's at an eight!"

I swear I could have kissed her! At that point I yelled, "Oh thank God!"

I was so relieved and encouraged. This was the moment it all became a reality and I knew I could do it! From there nurses and doctors were flying in and out of the room. Asking me a millions questions, putting bracelet after bracelet on me, and prepping me for delivery. At 7:00 the doctor broke my water and about 3 minutes later it was time to push.

Adam thought that he was just going to be one of those, "stand by the bed, hold your hand, not get in on the actions" kind of supporting husbands, but as soon as it was time to push the doctor yells, "okay dad, grab a leg," and his vision of sitting on the side lines ended right there.

Pushing, well it's awful. Especially if you aren't doing it right. And let me tell you, I was terrible at it for the first hour! All it took was a little threat from the doctor, "Don't worry, most first time moms push for at least two hours" to know it was time to get this right and get this baby out! I think in my very next push after that nurse threatened another hour of pushing, Ethan shot out like a cannon ball (Adam's words).

Welcome to the world little guy! Your dad and I have anticipated this day for 9 months and we could not be happier! You are absolutely perfect! And we already love you more than words can say! We are truly blessed!



























This last photo melts my heart!

I have to say I had an amazing support team. Adam was "Super Husband!" He cheered me on and encouraged me from beginning to end. And I absolutely LOVE my doctor and the nursing staff I was assigned. They were like natural birth cheerleaders. They had faith in me the entire time and they were so awesome to work with. After moving to St. Louis I just might have to drive back to have the rest of my children!!

Ethan Thomas Lunn
Born February 1, 2012
9 pounds 5 ounces 21.5 inches long

Happy Birthday to our son! God is good!

Bikes, Candles, and Dr. Suess: Our Maternity Session

The last time Adam and I had our pictures taken was on our wedding day. That really wasn't that long ago, 2 1/2 years to be exact, but none the less I was super excited to have our photos taken to document this exciting new chapter in our lives. PLUS we scheduled our session with Donna, a very talented photographer who also happens to be a good friend of ours, so I knew the session would be a fun and relaxed one! And the icing on the cake, our friend TJ showed up to document our story alongside Donna in a whole new way!

Here are a few (okay maybe more than a few) of my absolute favorites from our session!

If it has been over 2 years since you last had your photos taken with your family, I would encourage you to have some updated photos taken...now! :)

You're going to be a D-A-D-D-Y

Let's back track to last May. I second shot a wedding for Donna Harris, and to say I was exhausted through out the day is a complete understatement. I crashed the moment I got home that night and slept until 1pm the next day. I woke up long enough to drive back to Columbia and then went straight back to sleep until work the next morning.

At this point, I'm oblivious.

Monday at work my eating habits changed. I could not get full. I could not stop eating. I ate 2 huge bagels from bread company, 3 bananas, 1/2 cup peanut butter...and these were all snacks between meals! I was just absolutely starving. When I went home I made myself a sandwich...and of course you can't have a sandwich without pickles. I opened a brand new jar of pickles only to eat the entire thing...and then drink the juice. Now those of you that know me know my eating habits are strange...and yes I have been known to take a few sips of pickle juice in the past, but never have I ever downed an entire jar. After my sandwich I went to bed, for 12 hours.

Pickle juice cliche and all...I'm still oblivious.

Tuesday I went through the same exhaustion and food binge that I had gone through the day before. Now, I'm thinking something might be up. So I took a cheap dollar store pregnancy test thinking nothing of it.

One line appeared...and then a second. I think I scared my dogs because I started screaming and running around for lack of knowing what else I should do. This could not be right...those dollar store tests aren't accurate. I'll take another.

Another positive.

And then came the denial. It wasn't that I was upset, I just didn't want to get my hopes up. I mean what if I was imagining those two lines? What if those tests were wrong? So I did what any girl in my position would have done.

I went to the store and bought 4 different brands of tests. The kind with the lines. The kind with the + or - signs. The brand name. The off brand. The kind that spelled out the word PREGNANT!

So after a total of 6...yes SIX tests I decided it must be true. I was pregnant!!

Adam was working late that night so I had time to run to the store for a box of cake mix and some icing to prepare the "big reveal" to him. I think I called him about every 30 minutes asking him when he was going to be home. This particular night he ended up working until 12am!! I purposefully fell asleep in the living room so that I could wake up when he walked in and share the news with him. 1:00 rolled around and I heard him come in. I shot up ran to the kitchen grabbed my "surprise" and walked up to him...who at this point was already half asleep. I said guess what? And uncovered these...



The look on his face was one I will never forget. I could tell that it went in one ear and out the other. It was late, he was tired, and mostly, he was in shock. This isn't to say he wasn't excited...it would just take a night of sleep for that excitement to set in.

58 Days.

It has been 58 days since my last post. I promise....I am still working, and I fully intend on blogging the sessions, weddings, and life that has passed in these last 58 days. My absence has not been in vain, and thankfully I have the best clients who have been understanding and patient with me over the past couple of months.

So what is it that I have been doing all of this time?
Resting.
Sleeping.
Worshiping the porcelain god.
Eating.
and most importantly GROWING A BABY!!!

Yep that's right! We are having a baby!! I am 13 weeks and we could not be more excited! Morning sickness aka all day sickness has been extremely tough on me, and unfortunately the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is get on the computer and edit, blog, facebook, etc. I have felt tired like I've never felt tired before. Computer screens and movement make me sick. My diet consists of saltines, toast, and noodles. However, in just a few short months, it will all be worth it! Adam is just as excited as I am and he definitely deserves a shout out. Afterall, his life this past 13 weeks has consisted of cooking, cleaning, waiting on me, and putting up with me.

A few weeks ago, we told the awesome news to our families. It was right around father's day. We gave my dad a card with a picture of the ultrasound taped inside and we gave Adam's dad a book called, The Gifts of Being Grand by Marianne Richmond. Cutest book ever.



I will keep you posted during the very exciting time and your prayers for a healthy baby are very much appreciated!

....And Don't Forget the Flowers

Let me preface this story with this. I am not a roses and daisies type of girl. I have never really been into getting flowers for holidays. I mean come on...who wants a gift that is going to die in a matter of days?! However, when given unexpectedly, spontaneously, and sporadically, flowers can be sweet.

Anyways...onto the story. A while back Adam was scheduled to go to Kansas City for work to help out with some boring engineering mumbo jumbo that I couldn't put into Lamen's terms if I tried. He was going to be gone Monday through Friday, leaving me home alone, with my computer and my dogs. First thing Monday morning he headed for KC. At the end of the day he was extremely tired, so a quick good night was the extent of our phone conversation. He was off to bed, as I was off to a night full of editing.

After work the following day I was pooped. I fell asleep on the couch to some cheesy sitcom. Just about the time I fell into a really deep sleep I heard the garage door. Too out of it to do anything I just sat there frozen in my snuggie, with my eyes as wide as my head.

It was Adam. It turns out they didn't need him in Kansas City after all. As he turned Kitchen corner with his hands behind his back he said surprise and held out and empty clenched fist and told me to pretend there were flowers in it. He had driven around for over an hour in search for a florist, as the Garmin sent him on a wild goose chase. Hey, it's the thought that counts he said.

Fast forward a few weeks and Adam has been called out of town again. As I begged for him not to go over our morning cup of coffee, I asked him if he would be home early to surprise me again....and if so don't forget the flowers. We both laughed and went on our way.

This time around he did not come home from his trip early, however, I did come home to an empty house, my computer, my dogs, and these. Everybody now...awwwww.




This makes the 3rd time I have received flowers from Adam in our 8 years together...and that's just the way I like it. The second time was this night.