A Summer of Pictures

So I've been going through a lot of my pictures from this past year, trying to choose some of my favorites for my new website that will be going up in the next month or so, and thought it would be fun to show you some of them. Some pictures I've already posted, and some I haven't. So I hope you enjoy all of them. The pictures are of:

1. Bethany and Aarom
2. Rob and Jesse
3. Matt and Meg
4. Matt and Beth
5. Rachel's senior pics
6. Nate and Kaila

Enjoy!

Her room!!!

As most of you know, Mike left me for two weeks to go over to England with his father and brother while I was left at home to be miserable. So i gave myself a project. I decided to surprise Mike by painting the baby room so he wouldn't have to worry about it. And just to clarify, I personally did not paint it, my small group from church did it.

I wanted to paint it in purple, Mike wanted it pink, so i compromised and painted it "lilac rose". then I got all creative and put diamonds on the wall in a deeper purple. It was A LOT of work, but I was so pleased with how it came out! Mike was SOOOO surprised when he came home and saw it. We both love going into the room to just sit in it and imagine what it's going to be like to have our daugher in there! We have the letters of her name all set to go up on the wall, but obiviously I didn't take a picture of it! He he.... I'm so mean.

Matt and Beth :-)

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of being at Beth and Matt's wedding. I've known Beth for almost 6 years now, and it was SOO good to see her again!

It was a beautiful day, and I had so much fun with the wedding party (thank you Ashley and Carrie for being so entertaining!).

I love you Beth! Hope you enjoy the pics!

Baby Bump Update

Me at 28 weeks


So I'm offically in my 3rd trimester, and I thought I would update you all on how my pregnancy is going!

1. I LOVE having her with me all the time. She makes herself known quite often- she's a mover for sure (especially at 2 in the morning!). When we go to bed at night mike and I just watch my belly ripple... kinda freaks Mike out. hehe
2. I'm feeling good. Since my last appointment ( 3 weeks ago), I've gained about 12 pounds my entire pregnancy, and if I stay on track they expect me to gain about 23-25 pounds total. I'm ok with that!
3. I CRAVE friut and dairy! I want my watermelon, grapes, string cheese, cereal, and ice cream (my weakness). I'm pretty lucky that I crave pretty healthy stuff- aside from the ice cream of course.
4. When I gotta go, I GOTTA GO. There is no holding it anymore. Just ask John! But we're talking about a guy who's goal when i see him is to make me pee my pants! Literally. And he almost succeeded a couple times.
5. When I have to eat, I HAVE TO EAT. Becca calls me the mommy monster when I'm hungry. I get cranky. Quick.
6. I don't sleep anymore. I'm a belly sleeper, and obiviously that can't happen anymore. I toss and turn all night,(and by toss and turn I mean I literally have to get out of bed- move the pillows, and get back in to lay on my other side. It's a production) and I wake mike up every time, so he's used to not sleeping as well. guess we're ready to not sleep when she comes!
7. I walk funny. I have a natural waddle anyway,(thanks to the Shaddick side of me) but now is just down right funny looking. Mike laughs at me every morning as a waddle to the bathroom.
8. The baby has officially taken my brain. They say that a lot of pregnant women experience absentmindedness, but mine is just bad. I have trouble concentrating, and I forget what people have told me only 5 minutes before. Mike REALLY hopes I go back to normal when the baby comes. We all do, Mike. We all do...
9. I'm starting to nest. I just want my house to be ready for her so badly. Right now her room is a MESS, and it's driving me crazy! I need to start washing her clothes and organizing, but it's hard when there is no furniture for her. So most of it has to wait until my showers are over and Mike gets back from the UK (he's leaving me for 2 weeks in September....NOT looking forward to it AT ALL) since he's the one who has to paint.
10. The only thing i worry about is that I get very crampy starting in the late afternoon, and lasts till i go to bed. My doctor says it's normal, so i try not to worry too much. They do think that I have Restless Leg Syndrome, which is another big reason why I don't sleep. I've tried a lot of things- eating bananas, drinking a TON of water, and reciently my dad told me to put a bar of soap under my mattress. Old wives tale. We'll see if that works. I'll try anything!
11. WE KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW! Mike and I offically chose her name, but we are keeping it to ourselves until she is born. No, i will not give hints, and no, becca, we did not name her after you. :-) And Denis, I will try my hardest to have her on your birthday. I make no promises tho.

All I can say is that I CANNOT WAIT for her to be here. I want these next two months to go by slow so i can enjoy my last trimester, but I can't wait to see her, to hold her, to introduce her to all of you! She will be one loved baby because of you guys!

Our Finished Bedroom!

Mike and I have been living in our Town House for almost a year and a half, and today we finally have furniture in our bedroom! Yay! Our matresses have been on the floor, our clothes in bins and shelves, and our end tables were old coffee tables from our last house. It was quite sad. But today we have changed all that! We finally have proper dressers, and a proper bed to sleep on. Kemper is getting used to the bed being so high. He is usually able to jump right on, but now he has to really concentrate to make it up. For most of the day he's actually been under it! I think he has a new hiding place!

Matt and Meg

I personally have never photographed a more expressive couple than Matt and Meg! The way they looked at each other all day long oozed (yes, i know it's a funny word, but it's true) love and passion, and it moved me every time I saw it. But not only was it an emotional wedding for me, but one that brought so much laughter. Thank you Pete George! He was up to his antics again, and I laughed so hard!

Here are some pics from the day! Love you, Matt and Meg!

My poor baby....

Since Kemper is a hypo-allergenic dog, he has hair and not fur. So every 6-8 weeks we need to take Kemper in to get groomed. We like Kemper really fluffy and furry because he's so soft, so we waited a little longer (like 11 weeks) to take him in. Well, we waited TOO long because his hair was matted on his ears and feet. So the poor little guy had to be cut REALLY short. Usually they cut it so his hair is about and inch - inch and a half, but this time it's about a quarter of an inch. It's so wierd looking!

He is so timid now- it's like he feels exposed or something! But I never realized how tiny he really is! It's like having a whole new dog in he house!

I think he is too funny...

I'm a HUGE fan of the office, and of John Krasinski, and I found this video and laughed so hard. It's a bit long, but it's worth watching!

Farwell Old Friend....

This week I offically went part time at work because of all the travelling I have to do for my wedding phototgraphy, so I only work Tuesday-Thursday. This weekend I don't have a wedding, so I spent a lazy morning in bed, and in the afternoon I ran a bunch of errands and had a photo shoot with a friend.

While I was running errands at our mall, my beloved video ipod AND the car charger were stolen from my car! I couldn't believe it! The car was locked- i made sure of it because I had my camera in the trunk and I always get nervous. BUT my mistake was that I left the passenger window open about 3 or 4 inches (obiviously a big enough crack for an arm to get through). I was in the mall MAYBE 10 minutes! I was in complete shock that I just sat there for about 5 minutes with my head in my hands trying to figure out what to do next. Should I call the police? Get mall security? I had no clue. I called Mike, who was golfing so he didn't answer (and as I write this I still haven't gotten ahold of him.... did I mention that it was HIS ipod?). So i called my dad next to see what he thought I should do. He said that the police couldn't do anything, but that maybe our home owners insurance would cover it. So once I talk to Mike ( and hopefully I'll still be married after I tell him) we'll figure out if we are going to be replacing it or not.

I'm so sad.... I loved that thing. I had many hours of listening enjoyment (and watching The Office) on that thing. We don't have a cd player in the Passat, so the ipod served as that. PLUS we had an ipod dock in our house where we used it ALL the time.

Sigh.....

Her First Picture!

I can tell you right now that our little girl doesn't like getting her picture taken because we had to work HARD just to get this one!

We went in last Tuesday for our second ultrasound because the first time she was on her belly and they couldn't get any measurments for her face. The moment they got her on the screen we knew that it was going to take a while. She had her legs and feet in front of her face- the ONE place we needed to see. So they moved me onto my left side to try to get her to shift, but the thing that stunk about that was I could no longer see the screen. All I could do was watch mike ohh and ahh while i begged him to give me a play by play. But all he kept saying was, "wow, look at her" or "Rach, how cool was that?" Thanks, Mike. Every time I tried to look over my shoulder to catch a peek at what he was gushing about, i would be told to stop moving. SO frustrating. She finally got so tired of being poked and prodded that she arched her back and stretched out (so Mike says) and started to suck her thumb. And that is what she is doing in the picture. For those of you who haven't seen ultrasound photos before, our doctor has handy labels it for you. All you see is her profile and hand. I want to point out the obivious Freer nose that she has! Look at that thing! Thanks dad for passing on the genes!

Kristen and Adam's Wedding

Here are some pics from this past weekend for all of you to see.



My friend Beth and I. We're two months apart.


Jaime hard at work.


One of my fav shots of the day


The lovley bride and groom


Classy pic of Kristen.

Congrats guys! I love you!

A gift for my daughter!

Last night our friends Ashley and Ryan took us out for a celebration dinner, and when I opened the car door, I was greated with a beautiful diaper cake! It has not only tons of diapers in it, but lots of other little goodies for her! I was SOOOO excited! It's so wierd to see all this pink stuff- it's totally settled in that I'm going to have a daughter in 4 months, and I cannot stop smiling! Mike and I had a celebration breakfast together after the appointment, and as we did, we talked names. I'm pretty sure we've picked one, but no one will know until she comes! You guys have to be surprised about something!!!



Isn't it so beautiful!!



The little slippers were my favorite! It's hard to believe I'll have a baby so little that her feet will fit in them!

And the Verdict is......

GIRL!!!!!

Yay mom, Sarah and Carrie for getting it right!

This morning we went to the doctor's, and about two minutes into the ultrasound she announced it was a girl. I truly was shocked. I thought for sure it was a boy, and obiviously so did many of you! My mouth dropped open when she told us. Mike grabbed my hand and we both got a little misty eyed- not because we were sad, but because our baby finally had an identity. I can stop calling my baby "it" and can say "she". Wierd! Exciting! I feel like I'm in a dream! I'm having a baby girl! AHHHHH!!!



My doctor said I should have known it was a girl because i showed up in pink from head to toe! Here's me after we got home from the clinic.

Baby Poll

Time to guess what the sex of the baby is!!

Our ultrasound is on Monday, and we will FINALLY know the sex of the baby. Here's the time to cast your votes.

Boy or Girl

and

One or Two babies.

I'll anounce the winner on Monday!


I leave you with a pic of Kemper that Becca and Jaime took when they came down for the weekend. Too cute!

17 weeks and counting...

Time for another chapter of the Belly Watch!

I was 17 weeks last Saturday, and all of a sudden i have a big bump! I literally woke up on Saturday, looked down, and said, "what's that!?" Craziness. But I'm feeling good. I had a good couple days last week, and i seem to be getting over all my nausea. Thank the Good Lord! I went to the doctor on Friday and he said that I am in great health, and on July 2nd we will find out the sex of the baby! Yay! Mike and I have thought long and hard about what we would like (obiviously not getting our hopes up) and I thought I'd share some of our thoughts with you.


Reasons we want a girl:

Mike can walk her down the isle one day
It will make my mom and Becca very happy
I LOVE girl's clothes
How cool would it be to have a mini me around!


Reasons we want a boy:

I hear they are easier to raise
I will forever be my dad's favorite daughter if I provide him a grandson
How cool would it be to have a mini Mike around! Way cooler than a mini me, I'll admit it.
I don't have to do his hair


But obiviously we will be so stoked no matter what it is. We just hope it's healthy, happy, and doesn't put me through too much pain and suffering during birth!

Ode to Moms

Happy Mommy's Day!!!

I want to take this time to acknowledge my mother, and how amazingly wonderful she is. I am who i am because of her, even though she may not think this, but it's true on so many levels. When I was sick as a little girl, she would put my comforter in the dryer so i would be nice and warm. When I'd be at my wits end in college, I would call my mom, she would put things in perspective. She is the reason my wedding happened! She's one of my best friends, and I'm proud to be like her! I love you mom! I know I'll be a great mom myself because of you!

I was talking to my mama on the phone yesterday, and she was asking me if i was showing. I realized that so many of you guys don't see me much, so i thought I would start a "Belly Watch" on my blog so you all can see how fat- i mean big- i'm getting.



I was 14 weeks yesterday, which puts me into my fourth month. Pants are starting to get tight, or not even fit at all, and shirts are getting snug. Not fun. Don't get me worng, I'm excited about finally showing, but I just don't have money to buy new clothes! I'm starting to get looks now from parents at work, or people from church who don't know I'm pregnant, but don't want to ask just in case I'm not and they make a fool out of themselves. I just smile and say, "i'm due in November". I hate to see em' squirm.

The biggest hurdle I'm facing right now is allergies. I know that pregnant people get stuffy anyway, but mine it's been 10 times worse than usual because of all the pollen outside, AND we're dogsitting a little Yorkie named Kobe, who I thought was hypoallergenic but if fact is not. He's adorable, but he's been making me miserable. I went to the drug store and begged a pharmasist to give me whatever a pregnant person could take! He gave me Sudafed and Robitussin, and so far neither is working....




Mike posing with our pride and joy, Kemper! Aren't my boys so cute!?


Anywhoo-
Mike and I spent our Mother's Day afternoon being domestic. We needed to fix our back patio, so we went to Lowe's, got supplies, and we (I mean Mike) worked on the patio while I watched the dogs and soaked in some sun. Then Mike painted the door and trim while I came inside. I have to say that I was so impressed with Mike because he wasn't exactly sure how to fix the patio, but it came out exactly the way we wanted it. I didn't know I married a handy man!

Larry and Andrea

I wish I had a good excuse as to why i haven't blogged in a while... but I don't. But in my defense, pregnancy (Yes, for those of you who my not know, I'm PREGNANT! AHH! 13 weeks today) has been kicking my butt, and I'm moving a little slow these days. So I'm using that as my excuse.

Moving on, after many requests, I'm posting some pics from Larry and Andrea's wedding (who are two of the sweetest people I've photographed). Here are a few I decided to share.




The Cute Couple



Now, I probably took about 10 shots of this picture, and this is the only one where Adam is KIND OF being serious. Those Moore Boys.... a handful I tell ya.


This may look a little....strange to those who don't know what is going on... but in actuality, the bridesmaids are trying to bustle Andrea's dress as she patiently waits. It took them a while, but they got it!


Had to put in a picture of John actually smiling. Out of all the shots I took of he and Larry, this is the only one where he looked like he didn't have his grumpy pants on. It's a wonder that I got him to smile at all since I was his unfavorite Freer at the moment.


This is one of my favorite pics of the day. What a handsome ( and high maitnence) bunch.


The beautiful bridesmaids.


I put this picture on because I think it's so funny how Larry looks like he is TOTALLY checking out a bridesmaid.


Dad had a hard time letting go of his little girl. He was such a sweetheart the whole day. LOVED him.


I love this pic, and I will fully admit that I didn't take it. Becca did. Good work, sis.