Well, I did it!

I have never in my life designed a whole website. Never. Once in my last class at St Leo I had to make part of one, but never one with multiple pages. And today I have completed and officially lauched www.jlsphotographystudio.com (see link on the right side of this page) This is extremely exciting for me... as I have finally gotten everything together to make something I love doing into something that I am going to do on a part time basis.

Here is where you come in. If you know anyone who would like photos taken, please tell them about me. I am only charging $25 for an hour shoot, $50 for two hours right now (May and June) This barely covers a sitter, gas and photoshop time but I want to get as many shoots under my belt as possible and build my portfolio. I would be honored to be able to take pictures of you and your family, and at the very least you will end up with some great photos to share with your family and friends.

Please let me know if you are interested in a photo session, and join me in celebrating the launch of my new website!

CHEERS! (Clink, clink!)

Riverview Pictures

Here are some posts from this weekend in Riverview. We came down here so Shawn could help Brad put in backyard irrigation and lay sod so their backyard could be a great play area for the kiddies! Madalyn and Savannah had a great time playing, and Madalyn absolutely adores her baby cousin Landon. Go to my photography blog for more pictures!

Silence....

When you have a toddler, you know that sudden silence is a scary sound. When you have my daughter, you just KNOW that somewhere she has found some trouble to get into. So imagine my surprise today when I went in search of the silence expecting to see some sort of mess.... and found Madalyn sitting in her room, "reading" a book she had pulled off of her bookshelf. It doesnt matter that the book was upside down.... for several minutes I was able to watch her from the doorway without her realizing that I was standing there. And in her sweet baby babble, she was "reading" her story book out loud. My heart melted. And then she looked up and saw me, and was off again.... searching, presumably, for some trouble.

New Blog!

I have started a photography blog as a place to share my edited photograph. Please stop on by and check out my projects and let me know what you think. The link is
http://www.jlsphotograpysite.blogspot.com.

Thanks!

He Loves Her, He Loves Her Not...

Parent's Magazine Cover

Help us put Madalyn on the cover of Parent's magazine. Go to the website below, look at her pictures, then click on "recommend." Thanks for the help, and feel free to pass this on!

http://www.parents.com/app/sharemy/photoDetails.jsp?photoId=169000536

Thirteen Month Update

Well, I know I didnt do a one year update. I was busy! But since I have some downtime (thanks to my new, supposedly busier station at work) I figure I can get it all down now.

One week after her first birthday Madalyn had her one year checkup, and shots. She weighed in at a whopping nineteen pounds! She is quite the tiny little thing to say the least. But oh so cute.

About two or three weeks ago she took a few tentative steps and then about a week ago it was like she realized "hey, I can walk!" and she was off. Now, she manages to walk pretty much everywhere. What a big girl!

Madalyn can say several words.... "Mama", "Dada" (which I think she calls herself Dada because whenever she sees the mirror or a picture of herself she yells Dada!") She has also said "duck" (I know I heard it!) and Gigi heard her say "bird." The cutest is when she says "Allie" (owwwie). She also says "oooohhhh" whenever she sees something she is really excited about.

She loves pretty much all foods... not so excited about eggs, and didnt really like the taste of sour cream. Her favorites are these things called Yogo Bits (they are like candy yogurt- absolutely disgusting.) She also LOVES fruit cocktail, which I think is the first food I have seen her eat without trying to share with the dogs. Yes, she shares. Which is rather adorable when she feeds the dogs from her high chair, but not so cute when she picks up a rawhide and attempts to gnaw on it. Luckily we have the world's most patient animals who just kiss her when she takes their bones. She can crawl all over Allie (owwwie) and pull her ears and her jowels, and all Allie does is turn around and give her a big sloppy kiss.

Vacation, and now we are home

Whew! What a week! It was nice to get to go down to my parents for a week off. Mostly it was nice not to have to go to work for a week! It amazing how much changes in a year... this time last year Madalyn was a few weeks old and we were down there and I think she ate, pooped, and slept if I remember correctly. Oh yeah, and spit up on Mommy! Now here it is a year later and she is walking, talking, trying to swim, playing with the dogs, and getting into lots of TROUBLE! As Gigi says so lovingly, she doesnt think she has ever met a baby who is as busy as Madalyn is!

While on vacation we went to the beach, took a girls trip (myself, Mom and Madalyn) to Bradenton to see Auntie Amber graduate from nursing school, had a cookout with some friends from Gigi's work, as well as spent a night hanging out with Brad and Jenna with the kiddos. We did some shopping (got to love Kohls for baby clothes!) and just overall had a great time. My husband took down the "old" celing in my parent's kitchen (dome lights from the 1980s) and discovered a beautiful tray ceiling underneath. (Well it was beautiful once he patched the holes and took down the fluorescent lighting.) He painted it white and the tray part dark blue, with crown molding and a new white light fixture- it looks awesome. He is so talented!

Madalyn is quite the little shopper (she comes by it naturally, trust me!) We took her and Savannah to Kohls on Saturday afternoon. She lasted about seven minutes in the stroller, then wanted out. She let Jenna carry her, then Gigi, then Mommy, then realized she could get down and practice walking. (Which she is getting very good at!) I let her down since I was pretty much done spending money and could just follow her around. She kept walking over to different racks and flipping through the clothes and saying "ooohhh! ooohhhh!" Like she is oooohing and aaahhhhing over the different clothes. I would be broke if I bought her everything she liked! It was the cutest thing. Not to mention Savannah, who was a lot better behaved when it came to staying in the stroller, kept saying "oh that's cute!"

We had a great week, but boy it was nice to be home last night! I think we were there for five minutes when Shawn was thinking about what project to work on next.... the man never stops moving! I think we are going to finish out back porch, which used to have glass windows that were broken so we took them out and have had half screens, half completely open panes. Shawn bought some screen and is making some screens tonight for this open panes, and we have salvaged some concrete pavers from underneath what used to be our sheds (that he tore down with great pleasure and a metal sawzall blade!) The pavers have been relocated into our porch to raise up the slab, and he will fill them in with sandmix and then we will most likely tile over them. It will be nice to have an enclosed porch. We are also making a wetbar out there (well an outside sink at least! Not sure about how much of a bar it will be.) And we will probably get some cheap patio furniture for the room and will try to eat meals out there this summer. I told Shawn I really wanted the patio done for my Mother's Day present, and I think we are doing irrigation for his father's day present. (Such practical people we have become!)

Whew this is a long post!


Give a baby a box... it will entertain her for hours (okay, well maybe a few minutes!)

Maddie and Mommy at graduation

All wrapped up after the pool

best sunglasses shot yet!

Pooltime with Auntie Jenna


All ready for bed in her new jammies/

Kick kick kick with Gigi!

Savannah and her Gigi

All dressed up in her summer dress

Savannah in Madalyn's "boat" for the pool

Day at the Beach

Ahhh.... Ft. Myers Beach. We brought Madalyn here when she was just about three weeks old to have lunch at Ft. Myers Beach. Here we are one year later, back at Junkanoo (the old Anthonys) for lunch and some fun in the sun. Needless to say Madalyn had a lot more fun this time! She was really into splashing in the surf and liked playing in the sand. Madalyn is officially "toddling" now and spends more time walking then crawling. She is definitely a beach bum in training... next beach trip we get the first surfing lesson!

Baby and a Bucket

Nothing entertains my daughter more than a bucket, some water and some plastic measuring cups circa 1980. Thanks Gigi for the great toys!






Nothing entertains my daughter more than a bucket, some water and some plastic measuring cups circa 1980. Thanks Gigi for the great toys!