Life As We Know It

MOVING ON UP!!

2009-06-01T12:49:00.002-05:00

The Swanson family blog is on the move. I have purchased our very own domain and set up a new fancy blog that offers a super cool layout and LARGER pictures. I will try to import this blog over there, but no promises.... however change your bookmarks and blogrolls to the new address. www.lifeasweknowitblog.com

Come on over and leave some comments to say hi. And bear with me while the layout changes over the next few days as I get everything set up....

23 Month Pictures

2009-03-21T22:59:00.002-05:00

Thought you might like to see Madalyn's 23 month photos.... we took these at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens last week. In these pictures she hardly looks like a baby anymore... just another reminder of how quickly her second birthday is coming.

Vintage Madalyn

2009-03-01T23:53:00.003-05:00

One of the coolest things from Lightroom is this antique photo look.... so here is a quick storyboard from these pics.

I Am Officially Counting Down...

2009-03-01T22:57:00.004-05:00

Well there are 364 more days until I am 30 years old! I am entering now the last year of my twenties.... and wow what a difference from the first year of my twenties! What a decade it has been! One of these days I will sit down and recap the highs and lows of these last ten years, but for tonight I think I will simply keep it to a February month in review in the Swanson household.

We ended January on a somewhat sad note- we had to take Miss Ava- our German Shepard mix puppy- back to the animal shelter. She had growled at Madalyn one day for climbing on her, which I thought was a fluke, but then she snapped at her again... and I couldnt live with myself if the third time ended in my beautiful daughter getting bit. So we brought Ava back to the shelter, and Madalyn has asked for her a few times here and there and Allie definitely seems to miss her, but it was for the better I think in the end....

Madalyn is quite the chatterbox! From sun up until sun down she talks, talks, talks and you never know what is going to come out of her mouth! I have certainly become fluent in toddlerese that is for sure! Tonight while I was changing her diaper and putting her PJs on for bed (which is no small task these days- her PJs have names and we have to look for the right ones at night!) she asked me for her "cown" which I did not know what it was. Finally she grabbed her red sparkle headband from her shelf and put it on "like ella" (cinderella) She is a princess in training this one. I finally realized she wanted to wear it as a crown, and helped her put it on her head and that headband did not leave her head until she went to sleep. She certainly knows what she wants, this one.... and she is very into fashion, shoes, accessories.... she constantly is asking me to put a bow in her hair ("bow mommy, booooowwwwww....." or to put her shoes on for her.

Madalyn also just started gymnastics, and is the smallest and youngest one in her class but she LOVES it. Every week we go and do stretches and then she goes through an obstacle course that involves swinging from parallel bars and walking across a balance beam,then there is free time and bubble blowing. Of course.... bubble blowing. When I got Madalyn home from the first class I asked if she had fun and her answer was "bubbles!" On the way back the follwing week I told her we were going to gymnastics and she yelled "bubbles!" Hmmmm.... all this money for gymnastics lessons and I could get bubbles from the dollar store?!

We went home to Mom and Dad's so Shawn could lay some tile for them.... that was lots of fun. He worked hard, we shopped hard... and of course Madalyn was completely spoiled rotten! Their house looks amazing and is really coming along... which I am sure they would be glad for it to get put back together.

Other than that life is... well life. The business has kept me busy, and if you want to check out some recent shoots go to www.jlsphotoblog.com. I also launches a new site for my boudoir photography... www.jlsphotographystudio.com/boudoir. That aspect of my business, along with weddings surprisingly!, has kept me very very busy. I had a wedding last weekend (2/22) and a wedding next weekeng (3/7) then 3 in the month of April along with Madalyn's birthday party- which is April 5th so SAVE THE DATE!

Shawn is doing well.... he isnt working on Mondays now so that will become project day...

I guess that was somewhat of an update.... and I will post more of an update later on... but LEAVE ME SOME COMMENTS! I spend most of my time blogging for the business now, which is why I have been slacking majorly over here, but if I know people are reading I will be better about posting.

And with that, I leave you with some quick snaps taken yesterday in our backyard. I am trying to master Adobe Lightroom, which is similar to Photoshop but seemingly WAY more in depth- but my birthday present to myself was a Scott Kelby book on it which I read while editing these... so ignore the DIRTY face but enjoy the photos! And Madalyn picked out that hat by the way.

And Shawn's birthday present to me.... a photoshoot with Madalyn. A REAL photoshoot, like I do for OTHER people... so soon I will have some nice pictures of MY kid- we are heading to Kanapaha Botanical Gardens towards sunset time if I have my way so we will see.

And heading my way this week is a NEW CAMERA! The one I have been drooling over for the last year! I packed up my Rebel Xti and some of my lenses and shipped them to Jenna (am I a nice sister or what!?!) in the anticipation of my new camera coming here. I currently have a Canon 40D which is pretty great itselt, but I have wanted the advantage of having a full frame sensor for a LONG time and had to save some pennies to afford it! I also purchased a 100 mm macro lens, so I will be sharing some macro photography on here as well.... I cant wait!

I blinked... and its the end of January!

2009-01-21T15:09:00.003-05:00

Holy moly. Seriously I havent updated in awhile... and there isnt anything very exciting going on here anyways. It's pretty much Sleep. Work. Play with Madalyn. Repeat.

I got moved stations again and I am back at Rescue 3. I hate the area but I have a great partner and a really great crew at the station so things are better in that aspect I guess.

I will be better about updating this I promise, but for now wanted to share some recent pics.

Baking Cookies

2009-01-21T15:02:00.003-05:00

During the college football national championship game (GO GATORS!) Savannah came to stay with us while my sister and Brad went to the game. The girls had so much fun together... and the house was filled with giggles for three days!

We made some cookies... and of course there arent any of the finished product (we gave up on the idea of decorating!) Madalyn LOVED playing in the flour.

In Celebration of My OTHER New Lens

2009-01-08T00:06:00.001-05:00

In Celebration of My New Lens

2009-01-08T00:02:00.003-05:00

My business bought me a late Christmas present this year.... and I am in LOVE. It is a new lens for my new camera and it is AMAZING. I only wish these photos could do it justice, but Madalyn was totally not into posing today. Allie and Ava cooperated a little bit when I took the lens out of the box.... but not for long.

I have Savannah today, tomorrow and Friday so maybe I can do a mini shoot with the girls and play with it then.

Madalyn the Artist

2009-01-02T14:31:00.002-05:00

In our house we draw with chalk instead of crayon because it comes off the walls easier! Inevitably Madalyn will get crayon SOMEWHERE she isnt allowed to, and its such a pain to scrub off. Hence the chalk. But it DOES keep her busy for a little while. :)

Christmas Photos

2009-01-02T13:44:00.007-05:00

Only a week too late... but wanted to share some of the Christmas photos from our day at Jenna's house. It was really nice to get the family together for the festivites, opening presents and eating Christmas dinner.

Landon was really into the paper, Madalyn opened one gift and was happy to play with the rest (leaving Mommy to open those!) And Savannah LOVED every single princess that she got!
Landon enjoying his first Christmas.

Madalyn and her new best friend forever ELMO LIVE!

The girls bouncing on Savannah's new trampoline.

Jenna and Landon enjoying the 80 degree weather.

Of course Madalyn had to try out Landon's rocking horse.

Madalyn is a present!

Savannah and her princesses. She can name them all!

Madalyn and Santa

2008-12-21T19:20:00.007-05:00

Well, she was excited the entire time we were in line (and I do mean ENTIRE time... it was a 25 minute wait!) but when we finally got to see Santa, she was less than thrilled. I do think that she told him she wants an Elmo Live!

And just in case your forgot what "Chunk" looked like a year ago... here she is last Christmas. (And yes, it IS a different Santa!)

On that note, we finished up all of our Christmas shopping today... and on to the wrapping.

And in case you haven't finished your shopping and might be in the market for books, Waldenbooks is having a great sale and is also taking donations for a local charity. Gainesville's Borders and Waldenbooks are supporting Lyrics for Love, a great organization founded by Sister Hazel (my all time favorite band!) Madalyn was able to donate a Wall-E Golden Book to a local child with cancer.

December Update

2008-12-19T18:09:00.002-05:00

As an early Christmas present to me (well, really to keep Uncle Sam from getting as much tax money LOL) I recently picked up an awesome new lens to go with my awesome new camera! That's right... I have done well enough in 6 months with my business to be able to afford both a new camera (the 40D by Canon) and this new lens, which is an 85 mm 1.8 for all you camera people out there. The camera got here a week ago and I used it at the wedding I shot last weekend (check it out on my photo blog) The new lens came yesterday... and Madalyn wasnt loving me for wanting me to shoot her, so I practiced on the tree (finally! A willing subject in this house!) I am only wishing that I had this to do the tree pictures, but no such luck. Maybe next year....

Maddie is super excited about Santa... she sees him everywhere and points him out and says "ho ho" (hasnt added the third "ho" yet. For Christmas this year she wants Elmo Live (hint hint Santa Claus) and lots of books.

Only two more work days for me and then we are off to Cape Coral for Christmas at my parents...

By The Light Of The Tree...

2008-12-10T22:45:00.002-05:00

Remember That Exciting News?

2008-12-04T20:35:00.002-05:00

Remember that exciting news I mentioned back in early November? (Or maybe it was October, I honestly can't remember that far back!) Well... here is the BIG NEWS!

I WAS ASKED BY THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER TO BE A PRIZE FOR THEIR DECMEMBER CONTEST!!!

This is such a big opportunity for JLS Photography. Number one, it is an endorsement from the local paper which is HUGE when you are a small business trying to get off the ground.

For the next ten days or so whenever you log into the Gainesville Sun or Gainesville Moms you will see this month's contest: Win A Family Photoshoot! Myself and another Mom are both giving away a free session and various prints to the winners. There is a drawing December 13th to determine a winner.

I am so excited! If you want to register for a free shoot, head on over to Gainesvile Moms Contest to check it out.
All you have to do to enter is be a Gainesville Moms member, which is a benefit in and of itself. This site is GREAT for local parents to keep up with what is going on in the community and meet other parents.

Needless to say I am honored and excited to be a part of this contest.

I also got asked to join the local Chamber of Commerce. I meet with a woman next week sometime to discuss this.

I feel like my business has really taken off... thanks to all of you for your love and support!

Christmas Photos

2008-12-01T22:37:00.005-05:00

On Black Friday Shawn, Madalyn and I met up with Jenna, Brad, Savannah and Landon in downtown Ocala for a Christmas photoshoot. I had bought the kids the matching outfits a few weeks earlier and was so excited to see them all dressed up.

Here is one of Madalyn, and check out the rest at JLS Photography's Blog.

Thanks for looking and leave me some comments!

Little Red Jacket

2008-11-23T16:08:00.001-05:00

Day 52: Gobble, Gobble

2008-11-20T19:02:00.001-05:00

Okay so I know I am really behind in posting. Madalyn has been sick, and I have been super busy editing photos and getting orders sent out for the holidays- business has been booming!

Just to tide you over until I get a chance... here is Madalyn in her turkey day shirt...

Day 45: 19 Month Pictures

2008-11-13T20:12:00.005-05:00

Today Madalyn and I played with my camera in the back room for a little while while she tried out a new headband. Her new headband matches her new RUBY RED SLIPPERS! Yes, you read right. Every little girl should have a pair. They are absolutely darling, and Madalyn pranced around in them all afternoon (in her grey sweatpants of course!)

We had lots of fun shopping this morning at the mall and picking out outfits for Christmas photos with Savannah and Landon. Maddie was very well behaved for about an hour, then she let me and everyone else know that she was ready to be out walking around!

Shopping must have worn her out though, because tonight when I put her in her high chair for dinner she actually fell asleep in her food!

Day 44: What Did Mommy Say?

2008-11-13T19:49:00.004-05:00

Madalyn was "helping" me load the dishwasher the other day. And by "helping" I mean she was throwing her own toys in there while I was putting in the dishes. I kept taking them out and telling her "no." And finally, I had enough of saying "no" when she kept doing it, so I said "Madalyn, what did Mommy just say?" and she looked at me and smiled and said "no!" (Then of course proceeded to put more toys in the dishwasher.)

Day 43: (Yes, I skipped a WEEK!)

2008-11-11T18:15:00.002-05:00

I admit it. I am a slacker. So much for 365 days of blogging! I skipped an entire week. You want to know the worst part of it? I was off. No work for me. I had an entire week, from last Monday at 8 am until today at 8 am (actually thats more than a week!) that I was off of work and I didnt blog but one time, and that was to post the Halloween pictures! I should be hit with a switch! Well, please dont do that because it would probably REALLY hurt.

I enjoyed the week with Madalyn... mostly we cleaned. A lot. And I did some work for the business and this weekend was packed with 8 photo shoots between Saturday and Sunday which I now need to get edited ASAP. So it was a busy week actually, and trying to get much done with an eighteen- EXCUSE ME now NINETEEN! month old leaves a lot to be desired!

We DID buy Madalyn a potty. (Oh yeah I almost forgot the shopping! When you have two incomes in your house you can actually go shopping once and awhile even if it is only to Walmart!) It is a spectacular potty- actually Gigi bought it for her.... and although we arent going to officially start potty training yet, we wanted to get the idea in her head.

Once the potty was out of the box and snapped together (yes, I did it myself!) I put it in the living room so she could see what it was without pushing the whole bathroom issue. Within 10, maybe 15 minutes Madalyn was sitting happily on the potty with her shirt pulled up to her chin with a look of concentration on her face... a look on only gets when they are..... YES! She actually went #2 on the potty! It was in her diaper, but still she knew what to do on it! It was the funniest thing... she just sat down and went and looked at us like "Yeah I was waiting for you guys to get me one of those things. Took you long enough. Jeez."

So the potty now is in the bathroom, and she hasnt actually used it officially yet, but we will start one day soon. She does however use it as a place to sit when we are in there, even if we are brushing our teeth!

Day 36: Halloween (A Bit Late!)

2008-11-04T15:24:00.002-05:00

Only 5 days late! Here is the little Tinkerbell. Madalyn thinks everyday is Halloween, because the kid LOVES to dress up! She constantly is pulling clothes out of her drawers and pulling them on over what she is wearing. If she spots her tutu hidden in the closet in the office (and yes I did say HIDDEN! Its for this reason exactly!) she will CRY until we put it on. No joke here. She loves to wear it around the house. And she has not one, but 2 pairs of fairy wings that I did use as props for photoshoots that she has adopted. And we wont even get into the shoe thing here!
(Girl loves to play dressup!)

I digress. Madalyn dresses up every day pretty much, so Halloween was no diffferent. She LOVED her costume, so much that she wanted to wear it in the sandbox. We didnt end up going Trick Or Treating... we made it to the neighbors next door and that was about it... she didnt really "get" it and was more interested in pulling candy out of our pumpkin than anything else. So we snapped a few quick pictures and let her play in the sandbox. How festive, huh? Maybe next year....

She can, however, SAY Tinkerbell and Cinderella and loves them both. She has Tinkerbell and her room and the way she says her name is "blah blah blah BLAH blah Bell" and Cinderella is "Blah Blah Ella". Seriously here. Just a jumble of syllables and then "Bell" or "Ella". Its hysterical. Reminds me of how Savannah used to try to pronounce "Madalyn!"

Day 35: You Made A Match!

2008-11-03T21:46:00.002-05:00

Miss Madalyn had a toy that is an animal toy that is magnets for the fridge that you put the front and back halves of animals together and when they are matched together the thing sings "you made a match!" and then sings a song. This morning when I was doing work around the house I kept hearing the song, and didnt even realize what was happening until it hit me that Madalyn was matching the animlas up! What a big girl!

Day 34: Entire Post Erased

2008-11-03T00:57:00.000-05:00

I just spent 20 minutes writing today's post, and it got erased when it went to post. I am very frustrated... so I am headed off to bed. Maybe another day I will write that story....

Day 33: For Those of You....

2008-11-01T21:05:00.004-05:00

For those of you who dont make it over to my photo blog here is what you are missing! Isnt she darling? I went to Jax last week to take her "newborn" photos (she is actually 10 weeks now). I had a lot of fun... it was a great little mommy get away for a few hours, and I had a lot of fun with this little darling's parents.

In other news.... GO GATORS! What a butt kicking! Woooo hoooo! We are watching the Texas/ Texas Tech game right now (when I say we I mean myself and Madalyn, who needs to be in bed, and Shawn who has fallen asleep on the couch.)

I have spent the majority of the afternoon designing a NEW and IMPROVED ordering site for my business... I am super excited about it, and if it proves effective it should cut down on my time by a great amount. YAY!

And I am still waiting to hear 100% on the exciting news... so stay tuned... but I will make an announcement soon.

And leave me some comments, okay? I know you are reading.... :)

Day 32: Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:47:00.002-05:00

Short and sweet because I am off to bed. The extent of Madalyn's Trick or Treating tonight was in our home and next door... but she DID have fun in her costume handing out candy. I dont think she "got" it this year. What she DID get is that by saying "Trick or Treat" she would be handed a piece of candy.... and she LOVED that! She was Tinkerbell, and hopefully by tomorrow I will be able to upload a few photos from this evening. She really liked her costume, especially the fairy wings!3

Day 31: God Knew What He Was Doing

2008-10-30T14:54:00.002-05:00

God knew what He was doing when He gave me a daughter. For moments like these.

Madalyn is coming to help me on a photoshoot this evening before I go in to work. So we took a shower and got dressedm and I brushed her hair. She wanted to brush mine. So I told her when I finished with hers she could do mine. She climbed on the couch next to me, and started combing through my hair. Then she turned my head towards hers, and kissed me right on the lips.

I love her.

Day 30: Getting Caught Up

2008-10-29T22:14:00.003-05:00

I am exhausted but I am up trying to get some business related work done... I *may* have a big announcment on here related to a huge opportunity for my photography, but I am not going to say anything until I know more details.

And BTW when I say I have exciting news it doenst necessarily mean I am pregnant! (Ahem Jenna!) For the record I am not pregnant, and not planning to be pregnant any time soon!

Its been COLD outside today.... BRRRRRR!!! Our new insulation in the attic has helped tremendously... so far have only had to put on our little space heater. But we have had 2 consecutive nights in the 30s.... whew! Might have to rethink the Tinkerbell costume! :)

I am going to wrap this up.... I am extremely tired and got home not too long ago from Jacksonville... I drove there for a photoshoot today.

Day 26,27,28,29 Where Did the Time Go?

2008-10-28T00:06:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have LIVED on an ambulance the last few days. Friday I had the busiest shift EVER.... as in 25 calls in 24 hours. It was CRAZY! Whew... then after about 40 minutes of sleep I packed everything up and headed to another station to finish my 48 hour shift. Why do trades always seem like a good idea at the time I do them, and are so bad when it comes time to actually work them? I guess a long time ago back in August I enjoyed a day off I had to pay back this crazy weekend. And by crazy I mean INSANE! I ran almost 40 calls in 2 days! Then came home yesterday, crashed until almost noon, ran some errands, came home and was totally worthless. I didnt want to do anything!! And all Madalyn wanted to do was play with me, and I felt so bad because I was WAY too tired to do that!

Friday morning she broke my heart when I took her to Nana Swanson's to drop her off.... she cried! When I handed her over she reached back out to me and said "mammmmaaaaa" and cried! I about broke down myself.... and I had to leave her like that! My own mom said she was just trying to make me feel guilty (mission accomplished! it worked!)

So today I was prepared for the worst... and when Nana opened the door she yelled "Nana!!" and was all excited. So that made me feel better....

And today I am back at work, and realized quickly why I need 2 days off in between shifts.... my patience is nill when I am tired.

I should be sleeping.. usually I wait until 2 am for sleep (when the bars close.) I hate getting up and down...

It's COLD here BTW..... I can see my breath! I was actually shivering on our last call! Maybe its winter?! All I know is that Madalyn might have to rethink her costume for Friday if this weather keeps up! ;)

Day 25:Gloomy Day

2008-10-23T20:28:00.002-05:00

Why is it that gloomy, overcast days make you want to stay in your pyjamas all day and do absolutely nothing? Thats what I did today. Well, the pyjamas anyway. I couldn't possibly do nothing... I got all of my paperwork up to date for the business which took some time. And then I edited photos (still working on the ones from this past weekend!) I have to work a 48 hour shift tomorrow and Friday. Is it wrong that I am praying the rain sticks around so there wont be as many drunk partiers for Homecoming? (Yes I love the Gators, but I do not so much love those who have to get drunk and obnoxious to celebrate loving the Gators.)

Madalyn was happy to hang out in her PJs today as well... we had a pyjama party. As I type this she is attempting to take off her diaper with her shorts still on. This is getting to be a problem. She is SO ready to start potty training... she hates her diapers.

The little bugger napped until almost 7 this evening! So Im sure she wont be ready for bed when I am ready for bed in half an hour!

Day 22, 23, 24: I Am A Slacker

2008-10-22T11:59:00.003-05:00

I admit it, I have been so busy juggling everything else that I have been slacking about posting in my personal blog! It never ceases to amaze me that I can be so constantly busy that I feel like I never get anything accomplished!

This morning I had some of my coworkers over for coffee and a constructive meeting to see how to address some of the major issues at work. If nothing else it served as a forum for me to see that I am not the only one having major issues with some of the things happening at work and the way we are treated by our administration. I have spoken with my supervisor who did my evaluation and he admits that my evaluation was a bit harsh (to say the least) and he was under the impression that my firefighter had been my subordinate for a year (which I had him for 12 weeks before the evaluations were due and thus should not have been judged on his performance entirely) We will be having a meeting next week to discuss some changes to my evaluation.

Madalyn is growing bigger every day... and even more vocal! She talks constantly and is never afraid to share what is on her mind! She has become very attached to me since Shawn went back to work and is now my little shadow every day, and she is always anxious to "help" around the house. I should take a picture now to show her when she is older how badly she wanted to be able to load the dishwasher and sweep the floor!

Shawn is linking work and comes home very tired and leaves much earlier than any human should have to be awake! But the extra income is a HUGE relief and it was nice to be able to go to the grocery store and buy enough food for a week instead of doing it day by day.

We are starting back on Dave Ramsey's money management plan on November 1st. The plan is amazing and works really well when you have things to pay off, and just shows you on paper where your money is going. We would like to be debt free sometime in the next year or so (except for our mortgage and the car payments.) So we will be sticking every penny into savings that we can.

My business is really taking off which is great, and I have lots of shoots booked! I went to Orlando last weekend for some shoots and am working on editing those right now. Check out my new blog jlsphotoblog.com for some photos, and please leave comments! I will be posting several old sessions in the next few days as I got behind waiting to get the new blog up and running!

Day 20 and 21: What a Weekend~

2008-10-19T21:44:00.002-05:00

Its been a whirlwind! We left last night for a trip to Orlando. We of course stayed up too late visiting with Jeff and Casey, and 7 am came way too early for me! I had shoots starting at 8 in Orlando, and that lasted until 12 when I left one site and went to another, finishing up around 4:30. Oh, and had to stop at IKEA (an experience in and of itself to say the least!) So it has been long and crazy... busy busy busy and now I have 5 shoots to edit this week! But it was great fun to see Jeff and Casey, and Helene and Jim as well as visit with one of my favorite families from shoots in July!

But for now, off to bed....

Days 18 and 19

2008-10-17T22:22:00.002-05:00

Im going to have to combine these two days. Instead of posting yesterday, I made a new and improved blog for JLS Photography! The new site is www.jlsphotoblog.com. It is still a work in progress, but please update your links to the new site. I will be posting quite a few sneak peeks on there in the days to come, so stay tuned! And please leave me a comment... I love reading them, and it means so much to me!

In other news, Shawn has survived 2 weeks at his new job! YAY! He really likes it, and it seems that there is a lot of room for advancement there, which is nice. And let me tell you how wonderful it was to get paid today knowing there was another check coming in next week.... SIGH OF RELIEF! We went to Sams tonight and bought all of the things we used to be able to stock up on but have been living without, or buying when needed. It was so wonderful.

We spent the evening hanging out with our neighbors which was nice.... and Madalyn and I had lots of fun today! We spent the early morning taking pictures of my friend Lorrie's expanding belly... she is due November 5th with baby #2. (Its a surprise for Daddy... Mommy already knows.) Her daughter Kaela is turning 2 in December, so Madalyn had a wonderful time playing with her! Then we went with Lorrie and Kaela to the park, where we met up with Julie, Ben and Rosemary to play fow awhile. The girls all had fun, and Ben fell asleep in his Baby Bjorn while the Mommies talked. Then Madalyn and I went to Weecycle to sell some of her clothes, then home to clean up the messy house. We had lots of fun.... its fun to spend days like that with my daughter.

Whew what a Friday!

Day 17: Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-15T21:10:00.005-05:00

As promised, some pictures from the pumpkin patch. This was such a lot of fun... and truly a great family evening out. Madalyn was extremely excited to see the rows and rows of pumpkins and loved running around and crawling all over them. And it was fun to have a great backdrop for a photoshoot of my own child for a change!

Day 16: Wooo Hooo 2000 hits!

2008-10-14T22:27:00.004-05:00

Today I logged in to write for the evening and noticed I had 2000 hits! Yay! I only put the hit counter up less than 5 months ago... so thats pretty impressive.

Today we went to the pumpkin patch (see day 15 for some photos!) I got tons of Madalyn pictures, thanks to Nana and Papa and Daddy helping out. She had a lot of fun and even went into the bounce house with Papa. I dont think she knew what to make of it at first, but she seemed to have fun jumping up and down.

This weekend Maddie and I are taking a girls only trip to Orlando to see Uncle Jeff, Aunt Casey, Josh and soon to be newest Swanson, as well as Helene, Jim and Alana. I have several photoshoots booked which is awesome, and I think Friday night we are going to take Maddie and Josh to a fall festival. Saturday Nana and Papa are coming down to play as well. Shawn, bless his heart, is going to stay here and work on Saturday then Sunday will be painting a deck for some extra cash. He is such a hard worker!

I will be posting many more photos from the pumpkin patch as I go through them... stay tuned!
And keep reading... I'd love 2500 hits by Christmas!

Day 15: Blogger Unavailable

2008-10-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

This is what I got when I went to post yesterday....

Sorry, way too tired to deal with waiting!

So, instead today I will post a photo!
Blogger is currently unavailable
Blogger is unavailable right now. We apologize for this interruption in service

Day 14: I Know Why It is Called "Work"

2008-10-12T15:43:00.002-05:00

*** Let me preface this by saying I love my chosen profession. I DO, however, quite dislike my place of employment. ***

I am in a crappy mood as I write this, mostly because I am sick and tired of the same crap from my place of employment. I recently had a partner that began using illegal substances to bolster his body building training, and he put me through a lot. It was a challenege to have him as a subordniate to say the least, and unfortunately right now I do not have a direct supervisor to help me deal with things.

I was contacted by another supervisor and asked to make sure that my partner's evaluation reflected his work attitude. He had had a few confrontations with various supervisors over the last few months (pretty much all females by the way!) One night he kicked in a door at our station after it locked behind him, and I told him to write an incident report on it. He said he would, and never did. So I got written up over the door, and he got nothing. Its just a letter in my file.... but it gets me that he doesnt get in trouble for not obeying an order, only I get in trouble because I didnt make sure it was done. (Which I completely accept responsibility for... however.... we ran 8 calls in 10 hours and I was exhausted, had reports to do, and after asking him 3 times to make sure it was done I just kind of forgot about it.)

So today, I get my evaluation and it is horrible! There lots of nice things to say about me as a paramedic.... never had any QA issues, never had any patient complaits... does the job well, always informs my supervisor of things... but apparantly my "failure to control my subordinate" (hello?! he was doing ILLEGAL DRUGS!) leaves me in the bad supervisor category. The other place they docked me a lot of points... my attendance- BECAUSE I just had to use 48 hours of sick leave for my broken finger that occurred ON DUTY! Shouldnt that be illegal? It was bad enough that I had to use my own leave tim because of the F%&^ED up way this department handles workers comp injuries... but then to give me a 1 out of 10 for attendance for that? For the rest of the year I only had used 60 hours of sick leave and one was for my father in law having open heart surgery and the rest I had notes for all of them. 60 hours in a year of 24 hour shifts is very low on the sick leave scale compared to my coworkers. At least I dont call in sick to go hunting or watch a NASCAR race! And there was a note on there that I had to use leave without pay for a sick day, which was an accounting screw up on behalf of the department (they docked me 48 hours for the same shift when I broke my finger.) The department screwed up... not me.... and they had to credit me back the hours. But now the stupid person doing my evaluation (who isnt even my direct supervisor by the way!) gives me that on an evaluation.

I am so sick over this... I am so tired over this... I honestly feel like I was set up. I was contacted by two chiefs when it came time for my ex partner's evaluation and they spoke with me regarding things that had happened with him, then used that as ammunition against me after they got me to say what they wanted on his evaluation. The kicker to this whole thing.... My former partner's evaluation was better than mine! He was the one who did all the stuff in the first place!

I guess I need to just stop caring, and perhaps this is just one more sign that this is not what I am meant to be doing. I hate everything about this place.... the way it is run, the way they treat the employees... and I was sadly, sadly mistaken when I thought that this career was about helping people.

I think I am going to file a grievance over the evaluation, especially because the sick leave hours counted against me was workers comp and the leave without pay was an accounting screwup that got fixed.... I just am so exhausted I dont even know if it is worth the fight.

The evaluation doesnt count for anything... we arent getting a raise this year (usually 1/2 of our 6% raise is merit based) so its really a joke. But next year, when I have a new supervisor finally, I dont want them to pull my previous evaluations and see a bad one. (My other ones have all been above average and excellent!)

I think it bothers me the most becasue of all the things I do, I do a great job. They are just counting me down because I had issues with a freaking Roidhead.

Sorry for the venting. Needed to get it out there.

Day 13: Gator Game

2008-10-12T15:39:00.003-05:00

Wooo hoo go gators! I had photo shoots all day, then rushed home to get ready to work the Gator game... so needless to say it was a crazy evening for me.

But the gators won! YAY!

Day 12: A Sad One

2008-10-10T20:59:00.002-05:00

In reference to a long, long ago post that sparked some debate on my blog, to say the very least. Our dear friend Brian shot someone in self defense in 2005. After almost 18 months, the case was brought to trial in 2006 and he was found guilty of second degree murder. The conviction was startling to all of us, because he was in a terrible situation and the guy came after him and attacked him in his car, and Brian shot him as a means of defending himself. You can read about the aftermath of this conviction

Brian has been in prison for 2 years this month. It has been heartbreaking to his friends and his family, most of all his darling girlfriend Amber who has been by his side through the entire thing.

Brian recently faced the District Court of Appeals and his story was heard. Today, he learned that they did not overturn his conviction, and they denied his appeal.

It has been a sad day for all who love Brian, because it is difficult to see truly evil people roam free while a good hearted man is behind bars for defending himself. Brian and I went to Paramedic school together, and he is a man who loves helping people. It has been awful for him to be penned up with murderers for these last two years.

Please read Brian's story, and please keep him and his friends in families in your prayers tonight. This has been a difficult evening for all of us...

Day 11: I Said I Would Do It, So I Am Here

2008-10-09T20:44:00.002-05:00

I am in the middle of finals for 2 classes, something that I hope readers understand more than some other people in my life. So here is Day 11, bogged down with schoolwork that I have not been able to get much accomplished on all week. My "normal" schoolwork time is while at work, between 12 and 2 am because I stay up until the bars let out. But since I have been home this week, havent had uninterrupted quiet time to get much accomplished and now I have until 5:30 tomorrow to take a final and do a project. Wish me luck, and next time I post I will be in a much better mood.

Day 10: Eighteen Months Old!

2008-10-08T22:14:00.003-05:00

My dearest, darling Madalyn-
Today as I write this you have turned eighteen months. What a grown up age you have reached, and you remind me many times each day how you are your own little person and not a baby anymore. I hate to break it to you though, you will be 60 and I will still call you my baby.

Each day you amaze me in a different way. The words you speak, the phrases you put together, the games you play to amuse yourself. And of course, you are just like a typical toddler- full of the devil! But just when I want to throw my arms up in frustration, you look at me with this big toothy grin and squinty-eyed smile and I cant help but fall in love with you all over again.

You give hugs now, and let me tell you that there is no other feeling that can compare you you wrapping your arms around me. You will rub me on the arm or the back, or plant a kiss on my cheek when I least expect it and my heart will melt.

You have been a Daddy's girl from day one, there is no denying that. But there is nothing more special then me being able to see that bond develop between the two of you. You want to be like me, but you want so much to impress him. You want to dress up, wear jewelry and makeup, but you do it all so that you can flirt with your Daddy like a big girl. All those little boys better watch out because you are going to be quite the heartbreaker!

And just as soon as you get your "lipstick" (chapstick) on, you are ready to go out in the mud and show them what you are made of. For as much as you are a little girly girl, you are equally as much a little tomboy. You love to get dirty, to eat sand and play with the worms in the dirt. You love to throw balls and have even learned to kick them thanks to Daddy's little soccer lessons. And nothing brings you greater job and more laughter then chasing around Allie and Ava in the backyard.

You are quite smart, little one, and I love to see your mind work. You hear the refrains from Sesame Street come on in the mornings and you come running with the biggest smile to dance to the opening song. When we sing our A B Cs you watch my mouth as I form the letters so that you can try and sing along. Your favorite song is the one from Sesame Street this is on pretty much every other episode "Sing A Song." If that song comes on you dont hesitate to sing and dance along. And dance you will! You can shake your booty to the music, bob your head along and twirl. We leave music on all day and you love to dance to the various songs.

Right now you are curled up next to me on the couch. I know it is past your bedtime but I take comfort in cuddling with you right now, and in a few minutes you are going to resist when I try to put you to bed. This has been quite the battle lately, and it breaks my heart because as much as I need you to sleep alone in your bed, part of me misses having you curled up beside me as we sleep. There used to be a time when you loved to cuddle all the time, now you are much too independent to want to sit with Mommy all the time!

I love you Madalyn Jean, and my life has been so blessed since the moment I learned you would be a part of it. I loved you before I even met you, and there is no greater love than that of a mother for her daughter. Thank you for being the light in my life, and thank you for sharing these 18 months of joy and laughter with me and your father. '

Happy eighteen month birthday, darling!

Much Love,
Your Mommy

Day 9: Crying It Out Big Girl Style

2008-10-07T21:15:00.003-05:00

I hate the idea of crying it out. Sure, it SEEMS like a good plan, and Shawn is FINE with it, but as a mother it breaks my heart to listen to my daughter cry and not go help her. We had several bouts of crying it out when Madalyn got old enough to realize that there were things going on after she went to bed. It really hurt me to do it... and this only got worse when she started with the gagging herself and throwing up every night.

We had to take the crib rail down in her bed because our monkey daughter learned to crawl up the sides with her little feet. I caught her several times trying to escape (at 16 months! I didnt think we would face that until 2 at least!) I know she isnt old enough to really "get" staying in her bed, but I would rather deal with that then have her get a concussion from falling off the top of the crib.

So down came the rail, and now we have a huge dilemma. Madalyn wants to sleep with Mommy. Not as much Daddy, because supposedly she sleeps though the night when I am at work. So when Mommy is home she gets her 2 - 3 hours of sleep when we are up and about, then she has an internal alarm that goes off when we go to bed. No, we arent waking her up by being noisy, because we sneak into bed to keep from waking her up! She must sense us back there... who knows. Just as we will settle into bed we will here the pitter patter of little feet and then "mama? mama?" as she comes into the room.

I gave in the other night. I actually brought her back to bed and laid with her (yes I curled up in her crib size bed!) but she just wanted to play. For 2 hours! So VERY early Monday morning at 1 am I gave up and brought her into bed. She was asleep within 3 minutes! So LAST night the same thing happened, and I was dead set against her coming to bed with us. So we both tried to get her back to bed... with no luck. Everytime we would leave she would pop up her head and cry. So then... we just had to put the baby gate up. She of course came to the gate and cried and screamed... and we just had to let her cry it out.

It was awful... for about 15 minutes! Then she finally gave up, crawled into bed, pulled her Tinkerbell blankie around her, and went to sleep. She slept through the night until Shawn got up at 5 for work. (Yes 5! He has to work at 6:30!) He took the gate down, and she got up around 5:30 ish and same into the room. My rule (okay, my new rule) is that she is welcome after 5:30 AM because if she had her way that would be the daily wake up time. She slept with me in bed until 8 am when she woke up. I keep a baby book by the bed, so I can hand it to her in the morning and keep her busy. She "read" her A B C book for about half an hour.... (WOOO HOOOO SLEEPING IN!)

So we shall see how it goes... bed times are so difficult. I hate them. I wish we could go from playtime to asleep without all the drama in between. I feel like I am hurting her when I leave her at bedtime!

Day 8: Doesnt It Make You Want Another?

2008-10-06T21:41:00.003-05:00

I had a newborn shoot today, and Miss Lillian is the darling daughter of my first maternity session. She is two weeks old and was so cute... and I definitely got my baby fix for awhile! I got lots of cuddling and feeding time... I think Mom was happy for the break. And we got lots of cute photos! These are a few from the session... they are a little distorted because I tried to resize them for this blog template. But I wanted to share how absolutely darling this sleepy baby was.

And for more baby news, Im going to be an Aunt again! No, Jenna is NOT PREGNANT (at least not that I know of!) But my sister in law Casey is 9 weeks pregnant. She has had a rough time in the past with miscarriages in the first trimester, and has had several before 8 weeks so making it to 9 with this one is a good sign! Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers over these next few weeks, as so far all signs point to a healthly baby for her and Jeff.

Day 7: Not a Day of Rest!

2008-10-05T21:25:00.008-05:00

WHEW it was a long day today! We decided to add insulation to the attic, which was quite a project that involved emptying the attic, laying the insulation (Shawn's job not mine!) and then putting everything back. But we did get to go through boxes and boxes of stuff and get rid of some junk we had stored for no reason. Then we cleaned the shed and the carport... and finally the house is starting to look good!

Shawn starts work tomorrow, bright and early.... so there will be some changes around the Swanson house! I think it will be good for him to rejoin the "adult" world!

Just some pictures.... Madalyn eating a graham cracker. Nothing too exciting, but if she is busy with food she actually looks at the camera! I did them grainy on purpose, just to make them a little more interesting.

And I call this one why you always go running when you hear Maddie saying "no! no!" because usually it means she is doing something she knows she isnt allowed to. Like climbing into a shelf. :)

Day 6: In the Gardens

2008-10-04T08:00:00.005-05:00

I am going to start this before I leave for photoshoots at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. I have a bunch of pictures to post, just random snapshots from the last few days. I will probably add some to yesterday's post so today's isnt so overloaded with pictures! :)

Okay update here. I had 4 shoots today, and 2 last minute cancellations and then a no show. I know I shouldnt let this get to me, but it was annoying to go somewhere and wait for someone to show up that didnt. I have a phone and make sure everyone has my number.... I went for some retail therapy on the way home and took advantage of a baby-free hour. I bought a basket for the living room to put her toys in. Note here: as babies get bigger so do their toys! Hers didnt fit in the little canvas bin anymore and I cant stand having them all over the place all the time!

So I got home rather bummed, and still had to be back at Kanapaha for a shoot this evening. I dont charge a deposit for people as of now, but it looks like I might have to, especially if I am paying a sitter to watch Madalyn. But I hate for good customers to have to pay for the mistakes of others... but there is pretty much no way around it.

When I got home I was in a crabby mood to say the least... and here is why I love my husband. He totally cheered me up. After cleaning out our attic all day (YES I did say cleaning out our attic! We will be adding insulation soon to help to combat our $500 electric bill!) he was extemely tired.... and I jokingly said a photoshoot with my daughter might cheer me up. I dont get to take many "real" photos of Madalyn becuse it is a 2 person job and for some reason it is like pulling teeth to get an hour of cooperation from him for photos. But he shocked me and said he didnt mind helping me today... so we packed up the baby and headed to Kanapaha an hour and a half early for my shoot.

We walked around, and Madalyn was really more interested in pushing her own stroller then she was posing for photos, but I did manage a few cute ones. I will be posting them soon. Regardless of if I got ANY photos, it was an extremely nice thing for Shawn to do. Then they just walked the grounds and checked out the flowers while I had my session.

So all in all, the day was great! And check out the pictures on Day 5 of the new car!
EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: I uploaded some photos after all. I only got to 3 of them, but these were the ones that jumped out at me. I am playing with some differnet conversions in my photo editing.... so tell me what you think!

And keep the comments coming! I LOVE them!

Day 5: Whew, a long one!

2008-10-03T18:43:00.004-05:00

We have been crazy busy trying to get all the loose ends tied up around the house before Shawn goes to work on Monday. So it was time for a massive Fall cleaning. I also moved Maddie's "big girl" room around (and added some Tinkerbell stickers as well!) She loves it.

Madalyn has become quite bossy to the dogs, which is quite entertaining. She is constantly telling them "no!" and "move!" They actually listen to her. Allie is so great with her... no matter how much Madalyn crawls all over her, pulls her ears, and bounces on her belly, she still puts up with it!

Day 4: God Opens a Window

2008-10-01T21:59:00.005-05:00

The phone call came around 11:30, while I was waiting for Shawn to get back from having his car towed home. It was Sandvich Industries, wanting to schedule an interview! The guy was free that afternoon, so I made Shawn an appointment for 2:30. He came home with the Jeep, showered and was out the door again.

He called me on the way home and sounded optimistic.... then had a phone call on the other line. It was Sandvich, offering him a job! Not just any job, but one with lots of room for advancement... and starting salary at 3/4 of what I make! Things can only go up from here, but it looks like we will have more than enough money to live comfortably.

Praise the Lord.

We went to dinner with his parents to celebrate, and they offered a gracious gift. They would help us with a car! His Dad offered to pay the down payment and help us get a vehicle for Shawn to get back and forth to work in. Shawn and I are both so lucky to have such wonderful parents that can and will help us when we need it.

So now, we have an absolutely beautiful 2007 Saturn Vue sitting in the driveway. It is black with grey interior and is GREAT on gas mileage which will be nice for Shawn traveling back and forth to Alachua each day.

Shawn starts his new job on Monday, so this is his last weekend of "freedom!" I took next week off of work to be there to help make the adjustment a little easier for Madalyn. So we are swapping roles me as a stay at home mommy (temporarily!) and him working. It will be quite an interesting week!

Day 3: When God Closes A Door....

2008-10-01T06:24:00.004-05:00

ALSO KNOWN AS "WE ARE TRULY BLESSED!"

If you had spoken to me last Monday you would have witnessed me about as low as I have been in a long time. I felt like we had hit a brick wall, an ending, a dead end. Shawn has been in the job search now since January with nothing promising on the horizon. Every time we thing something will pan out it fizzles as soon as we start to get excited about it. For about a month he was doing handyman stuff at Aquatropics (our saltwater fish store) and during that time I took the extra money we had and tried to pay off some bills (I should have set it aside for a rainy day!) Just as quickly, the revenue at the store dropped thanks to our wonderful economy. (apparantly people dont see saltwater fish as a necessity!) So just as quickly Shawn ended up with less hours and less pay, so cthat didnt quite pan out the way we wanted.

So back to last Monday. It was the most stressed I had been about everything. My job just doesnt make enough to cover the bills right now (thanks to the increase in gas, and a $200 increase in our utilities over the last year!)So I have been praying for some sort of job, something that would allow him to make enough money where we can at least pay all the bills!

In the midst of all of this, Shawn's car has broken down, so we have been sharing mine. He has been driving me back and forth to work every day and we have been planning as many things as we can per trip to save gas. His car has sat for awhile, waiting on a "friend" to come and help us fix it. I say the word "friend" here loosely, because Shawn has done a lot of work for him with the understanding if we needed any work done on the Jeep he would be here to help him with the car.

Well, after nine weeks of waiting for the guy to come fix the Jeep, we finally had it towed to a mechanic. And the news was not good. It was going to be $2000 to rebuild the transmission. Money that we did not have, but Shawn needed a car if he was going to get a job. It was a sad day in the Swanson house. Then Monday morning Shawn met his mother at the mechanic to have AAA tow the car back to our house, which was to be its final resting place. I felt as low as I can remember feeling, not knowing which way to turn. And I just asked God, please show us as way out of this. We have done all we can, now its time for You to intervene....

Day 2: How I Got To "Who" I Am

2008-09-30T16:52:00.004-05:00

**** WARNING EXTREMELY LONG POST!****

I recently had to write an essay for my developmental psychology class about how I knew what I wanted to do with my life... if I even knew at all. This is an exerpt from it, and something I had been planning to share on this blog for some time but had never gotten the opportunity to put it into words.

...Then came the event that changed my life. I know this seems cliché, but it was as if a higher power was showing me the frivolity of my life. I think it all started on September 11th, 2001, when two planes hit the World Trade Center. I am sure this was a monumental day in the lives of many Americans and others across the globe, but it set the wheels in motion that lead me to become who I am today. After the terrorist attacks, I began to see how fragile life is and how vulnerable our way of life can be. I started thinking about school, and my endless changing of majors, and I decided that it was time to focus on something in particular. I picked sports management, and I threw myself headfirst into classes, afterschool events, and marketing opportunities. In the early months of 2002 I worked at the NBA All Star weekend in Philadelphia, then made contacts that lead me to a job interview with the NBA. As soon as I graduated with my Bachelors degree I was planning to work in the marketing department of the NBA. My life was beginning to take shape.
Then came the day in mid march that truly changed my life. After all of my hard work in school, I rewarded myself with a trip to the beach with my best friend Kristina. It was a day filled with sun and sand, laughter and relaxation, and a killer rip current. We were sitting on the beach when we noticed the crowd gathered around a spot about a quarter of a mile away. I stood on the tailgate of Kristina’s truck and saw a man lying lifeless on the beach.
I don’t remember much of what happened, but I do know that I knew I had to get to that man. I sprinted down the beach to where he was, realizing quickly that he was not breathing and did not have a pulse. He was foaming at the mouth, and I knew that he was a drowning victim. Seven years of lifeguard training took over, and I began CPR on the man. I continued until the police arrived, and the ambulance, and while the paramedics tried to shock the man I stood and watched, mesmerized. They loaded him into the ambulance, and left for the hospital. And his young daughter stood by and watched, asking me “Is Daddy going to be okay?” I didn’t know what to tell her.
The man later died, I learned. Kristina and I left the beach , pulling over twice for me to vomit on the ride home. I was sick over it. The phone call came from the man’s friend, informing me that he had been put on life support at the hospital until his wife could get there to say goodbye. Suddenly everything I knew to be real was turned around, and the path I laid out seemed so silly. I was going to work for marketing for a sport where the players make millions of dollars for playing a game. It seemed so superficial, so inconsequential. I knew that God had put me on Earth to do something more, I just didn’t know what that something more was.
I missed two days of classes trying to sort something out. I still couldn’t shake the memory of that little girl watching the ambulance bounce down the beach, carrying her father and her looking at me, asking if he would be okay. It haunted me. I felt like I was carrying the ghost of that man with me until I decided how I could honor him. On the third day of missed classes, my favorite professor called me into his office. I told him what had happened, and how I was trying to sort through it all. And he gave me the advice that changed my life.
He sent me away. He told me to leave Gainesville, leave Florida even, and I would figure out what I was meant to contribute here. He mentioned ocean rescue, a great summer job opportunity that could take what I already knew and turn it into a lucrative summer job outside of Florida. I did a web search for ocean rescue jobs, and found several on the Eastern Seaboard. But it was the job in Corolla, North Carolina on the Outer Banks that called my name.
Six weeks later I loaded most of my belongings into my car, and drove to North Carolina for my tryout. I had been training for the rigorous physical testing for the past six weeks, but I wasn’t certain that I would be able to make it under the desired times. I passed the swimming well under the time limit, but was a minute over the mile run along the beach that came right after the swim. In my heart I knew that this was what I was meant to do, so I practiced every day for a week, and the day of the next tryout a week later I was thirty seconds under the time. I knew that if I put my mind and my heart into it, I would succeed. I was finally being challenged and getting an opportunity to prove myself in ways that school and social life never had.
I lived in a house one block from the ocean and left all of the frivolities behind. I lived without a good cell phone signal, without convenient internet access, without my friends and my family. I shared a small bedroom with another lifeguard, and lived in a beach house with 20 other lifeguards. I made friends that were like family to me for that summer, and I physically challenged myself each and every day. And that was where I learned who I was meant to be.
As a lifeguard I worked for the fire department. And I watched as the tones went off, the bay doors went up, and the trucks responded to those who needed them. There were no biases, no judgments, just people helping people. My heart told me that this was who I was meant to become. A paramedic firefighter. I was meant to help those who needed me by showing up at their most desperate hour and being there for them. I knew nothing of the training or the education I would need, but I knew that this was the path that God had laid out for me.
At the conclusion of the summer I packed my things back into my car, kissed my summer boyfriend goodbye, and drove back to Gainesville a wiser woman. No longer was I the lost child who didn’t know who she was and what she was to become, but that summer away taught me that I was incredibly strong both physically and emotionally, and that if it was something I wanted badly enough I could make it happen. My parents certainly didn’t understand why I was willing to throw away 4 years of a college education and a job with the NBA to become a blue collar worker, but I knew that this was my calling.
I enrolled in the first EMT class I could and finished at the top of my class. I then attended Paramedic school and again graduated with honors. Every spare second I had I spent volunteering with the local fire departments, immersing myself in learning everything I could about fire rescue. I then went to fire school and spent the most grueling twelve weeks of my life dirty, sore, and burned. It was funny to think that just a year previously I had been the prissy girl who got weekly manicures and didn’t leave the house without makeup. The day I graduated from fire school was proudest day in my life. I remember thinking that all of the hard work and pain was worth it, and I had proven to myself and everyone else that I could really do something if I set my mind to it.
Fast forward five years and I am now a Lieutenant with the County’s fire department. I get to help those who need me, and I have truly achieved my dreams. Not a day goes by that I don’t remember that man who had to unfortunately lose his life for me to realize the potential of mine.
This is who I am, and how I got here. Now I am a wife, and a mother, and I look forward to the days when Madalyn begins to want to challenge herself, and when she looks at the world of opportunities that lay before her. I hope that she will say to herself at that time "wow if my Mom made it as a firefighter, I can do absolutely anything." I hope, if nothing else, that I can teach my daughter to be a strong, independent woman, as my mother taught me.

Day 1- Reading to Allie

2008-09-29T21:04:00.003-05:00

Madalyn truly loves two things more than anything else. Reading books, and her doggies. The kid carries around her cardboard books all day, and when the dogs lie on the floor she sits right next to them and procedes to "read" them stories. She really tries to read. She can often be seen pointing at things in her books and trying to tell the dogs what they are. Today she grabbed a magazine off a shelf and went to lay with Allie on her dog bed to read.

I know she is too young to read, but it is so hilarious how Madalyn can identify her books. I think the best is how she "reads"
Mr Brown Can Moo . She calls it the "moo" book. The other day she opened to the thunder page, pointed and said "BOOM." So cute.

By the way she knows lots of animal noises. She can say "moo" for cow, "woof woof" for doggie, "meow" for kitty, "tweet tweet" for birdie, "neigh" for horsie, and "quack quack" for duck. She knows lots of body parts too! She can show you her hair, head, eyes, ears, nose, tongue (Shawn's favorite to see her stick her tongue out!) mouth, teeth, boobies, belly, belly button, knee, shoulders, toes, fingers.... and I am sure I am missing one....

365 Days of Blogging

2008-09-29T20:59:00.002-05:00

So, I have been thinking. I neglect this blog entirely too much. In an effort to chronicle the events of our life, I am going to attempt 365 days of blogging. Okay, I know this is going to be hard, so bear with me if I post one word on some days! But I am going to try to make an effort. It seems each and every day Madalyn does something more adorable than the day before. And I want to remember every special moment. Hence the effort to jot it all down in this blog.

So I need some encouragement! If you read this, sign up with blogger and leave me a comment! Its free, takes two minutes, and I want to know who is reading this dang it!

The Book (or Dad's 60th Birthday Present)

2008-09-26T21:54:00.002-05:00

My sister and I tried so hard to come up with something to give our Dad for his 60th birthday. It was such a big birthday, and we wanted something to commemerate it appropriately. Jenna suggested a pocketwatch that we would get engraved... but I thought of a HUGE project that I just knew would make the perfect gift. A photo book.

I know photobooks are a rather overdone gift these days... but with some help from my sister I knew we could make one that would truly show our father how much his life and his love have meant to us. She did all the legwork and made a trip to my parents to dig through old photos (not an easy feat with two babies!) The best part is she did all the work while Dad was at work, so he had no idea that was the reason for her visit. I was just sad I couldnt share in the photo party with Jenna and Mom. She then took them home, and managed to scan almost 70 photos and titled all of them! We had photos from before Dad was born up until Landon's birthday, baptism and our recent summer vacation to North Carolina.

I managed to retouch some of the old images (THANK YOU PHOTOSHOP!) then loaded the into the album software that I used for clients.... and almost 40 pages later we had his gift. It just fell into place... the pictures, the layout.... and being able to see Dad at Brad's 30th birthday to give him the gift.

We had photos from my grandparents wedding, beautiful black and whites. Then some photos from his childhood, pictures of him and my Mom in their twenties... then pictures of him and our family when we were young. There was even a page of Dad's many different hairstyles (he had it long! he had it curly! he had a goatee! he had a full grown beard!)

Perhaps the best photo was one Jenna found hidden behind a framed photo of my Dad and my Uncle Bob as young children. When she took it out of the frame to scan it, she found a picture that she titled "mystery man." It was old, cracked, and faded.... but it was our Dad at about 21 with no moustache! The family joke is that my own mother wouldnt recognize Dad without a moustache because for the 30 plus years they have been together she has never once seen him without one. What a find!

I dont think I have ever been so excited about giving someone a gift before! We presented it to him before the party actually started... and as soon as he opened it and saw the wedding pictures of his parents the tears started to flow... for all of us! I've never cried when I saw someone open a gift before! That moment was one of the most beautiful moments of my entire life. His reaction was so touching. And later, he called me to tell me it was the best gift he had ever received....

I will try to post some old family pictures soon... but I wanted to share the story. I am getting goosebumps just writing this! Many thanks to Jenna and Mom for their help... I am so glad that our teamwork was able to make this birthday so special for Dad.

17 Month Photos

2008-09-26T21:45:00.003-05:00

Another Big Girl Photo

2008-09-06T16:39:00.001-05:00

Breakfast a few weeks ago at that Cracker Barrell. She is getting so grown up!

Gator Girls

2008-09-06T16:35:00.001-05:00

During the football game last week I had the pleasure of having Savannah over to play. The girls were dressed to the nines in their Gator gear for our quick trip to Publix. As a side note, those shopping cards require 2 adults to push! They cant make the turns down any aisles....

Madalyn's Purse (Just like Mommy!)

2008-09-06T16:30:00.002-05:00

I dont think there was ever any doubt that I would have a daughter, and a girly daughter at that. I think I knew Madalyn would be a girl from the moment that I knew I was pregnant with her. I have always loved "girly" things, and I think God knew that I would love to have a daughter to share that with. It is also so nice, because my mother in law has had all boys, and nephews, and grandsons... so a little girl was very welcomed! She loves to share her jewelry and beads with Madalyn and play "girly" games.

Madalyn is one of the most prissy babies I have ever seen. She wants so badly to be a "big girl". She loves to play with shoes, and will pull matching pairs out of my closet, put them on and then proceed to walk around the house. She loves a pair of play galoshes I have for photo shoots. She is constantly "pretenting" to put on lipstick with my chapstick, and has taken to wearing rubber bands on her wrists as bracelets and carrying a purse. It is too adorable. She loves to borrow my sunglasses and wear them to be fabulous.

I love my darling little princess. Here she is with her purse (that she threw over her shoulder when we walked out of the house) and a little bow in her hair....

And here she is playing in my shoes...

Look What Maddie Can Do!

2008-09-06T16:22:00.001-05:00

Madalyn now sleeps in a "big girl" bed. After many nights of putting her to bed in her crib only to listen to her cry, cry, cry and then VOMIT we decided it was time to take the crib rail down. Yes, I said vomit. She would gag herself (I am hoping unintentionally, but who knows?!) and then vomit all over the crib, her room, and herself. This happened almost every night for two weeks straight, so finally we decided maybe she hated the crib rail. Not to mention she would pile her stuffed animals up in the corner, climb on those and then try to get out of the crib.

We made a big deal about the big girl bed, and then bought her a little princess stool to go with her bed (to help her climb in and out.) Well, Madalyn discovered all the other uses of the stool....

Night Night, Sleep Tight

2008-08-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

This is from the night before we left to go to NC. I laid Madalyn down on the bed... and she just looked so comfortable!

Boo Boos and Owies

2008-08-23T22:30:00.002-05:00

Well.... I broke my finger. Now, I am not a wimp.... and a broken finger isnt a really big deal... but its more than a broken finger. I SLAMMED my finger in an automatic fire door (read: SUPER DUPER HEAVY) and crushed the poor little thing. Now the pinky finger on my right hand looks like a grape lollipop. (I know this because Madalyn keeps trying to grab it, saying "oooh oooh" like she does when she wants a "sugary sweet.")

The story with my finger is that I was at the VA in Lake City (at 0500 in the morning believe it or not!) dropping off a patient and the automatic doors were broken. I had to muscle them open, but then when I went to shut them they slid really quickly and caught my finger. The door completely crushed my finger. It actually severed the bone, but because the skin wasnt cut it wasnt amputated. (THANK GOD!)

So I am officially off the road until September 1st, while my finger heals. It hurts A LOT, mostly because I hate keeping it bandaged and I constantly manage to bang it on something. I also had to get 4 or 5 stiches in the top of it where the pressure burst through the skin. Its NASTY. Not to mention the Tetanus shot I had to get!

Madalyn spent the first day trying to eat the bandage, and then my finger! I tried to explain to her about Mommy's boo boo, to which she pointed to her chest and said "boobie?" (Thanks to Shawn for teaching her that!) So then I said, "no Madalyn, an owie. Mommy has an owie." She cocked her head to the side and said "Allie?" We need a new word for injuries!

Lollipop, Lollipop

2008-08-23T22:00:00.004-05:00

In celebration of my new 50 mm 1.8 lens and my new Speedlight.... here are some Madalyn photos.....

And she LOVED the "sugary sweet" lollipop!

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North Carolina Vacation

2008-08-17T19:55:00.008-05:00

I have been such a slacker about posting my own pictures! I have been too busy with everyone elses. I am going to post a few on here, but will also upload them into a gallery to share as well.

These are just a few from the first day we were there. We left at about 4 am and arrived in Blowing Rock around 5:30. Madalyn was extremely good on the car ride up there. I had bought her some new toys for the ride, and leaving early allowed her to sleep for the first several hours of the trip so we were in South Carolina before she really even woke up.

We were welcomed to our cabin and our million dollar view by this beautiful rainbow.

The view from our back porch.

Savannah

Madalyn

Shawn enjoying the view

Cousins.... I am certan they are going to be the best of friends!

And dont forgt Mr. Landon....

Whew! Its been a whirlwind....

2008-08-15T10:11:00.003-05:00

I have been such a slacker about updating this. We got back from NC last Saturday night and I worked Sunday, then had Monday and Tuesday to just try to catch up around the house, then back to work Wednesday for me, had to proctor EMT and Paramedic finals all day yesterday, had to go to a deposition this morning for work... and finally I am getting some "me" time. The house is quiet because Shawn and Madalyn are at his parents, and I am getting some time around here to just try and caught up on editing photos and paperwork.

I have had some soul searching to do as far as work is concerned... because I am very unhappy there. I love helping people, and I love learning about the body and how it works and all... but the 3 am toothache for a week calls are getting old. I am sick and tired of being tired all the time! So.... obviously I need to have something in the works. My dream would be to be super succcessful at photography and do that full time... but that would take a lot more start up costs then I have. So I am going to play that by ear and still work on it and learn as much as I can and try to build a great client base. I need to finish my bachelors... so for the last few classes I need I am going to take my prerequisites for PA school. I will apply to both nursing school and PA school next October (2009) So at least I have that on the horizon...

Shawn is applying for every job he comes accross. Say a prayer that something comes through for us. It has been such a strain on me working 2 jobs... and I am ready for a break, and to have more free time to devote to photography and school. Ideally we will find something that we can still keep Madalyn out of daycare and can just use my inlaws as a sitter and maybe a babysitter once in awhile.... but right now anything will work!

Gearing up for football season.... students come back this week and that means work will be twice as busy for me....

Eating Sand

2008-07-31T11:52:00.004-05:00

Think she likes the sand?

Playing Catchup

2008-07-30T17:52:00.004-05:00

Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks.... and finally I have a bit of a breather. As of 1 pm today I am officially on vacation until NEXT SUNDAY! Wooo Hooo! Let me say, this is the most well deserved, much needed vacation of all time. I am actually going to squeeze in a few photoshoots tomorrow and Friday (okay you didnt expect me to do nothing did you?!) and the Saturday in the wee hours of the morning we are off to North Carolina for a week of frolicking in the mountains. (I dont know if we are going to frolick, but we are going to be away from Gainesville for a week with the family so thats all that matters.)

As for an update on life...

Madalyn- turns 16 months next Friday. I can't believe it! She is getting so big so fast... and has turned into quite a little busy bee. One of her favorite things to d is draw and color (and luckily she confines it to paper at this point in time!) She also loves to sing (ABCs is her favorite tune) and dance, and climb on anything and everything she possibly can. She loves to kiss (and even makes the "muah!" noise) and is incredibly cuddly. Every day with her is a new adventure. She is obsessed with shoes... and always points them out, tries to wear our shoes, or digs through her box of shoes to carry around with her. She will answer "yes" and "no" by shaking her head, and comes to get us when she wants her diaper changed. If you ask her if she needs a diaper she shakes her head yes and walks to her changing table, then points to it until you change her. I think we will be buying her a potty soon just to get the idea in her head.... and will probably start potty training her after Christmas if she seems ready.

Photography- has been incredibly successful! Check out my photo blog for some recent sessions. I also launched a brand new website for my company jls photography. I am really proud of my website, because I used a template and designed it by myself. So far I have been fairly successful with this, and had had several sessions of people who I didnt know before hand, and have gotten a lot of referrals by word of mouth. I have learned a lot about the business as well as the art form, and can see my work getting better each shoot that I do. I also have made enough money to support buying the equipment that I need, and there are many people lined up for the Fall which is also exciting.

Shawn and I are still working on the house.... so much work to do, it is overwhelming sometimes! Not going to even think about that though until I we are back from vacation....

I will post more later... I have a few pictures of Madalyn from gymnastics to post!

Naaah Naaaah

2008-07-23T19:00:00.003-05:00

Madalyn has a "baby." When we were down visiting Gigi and Papa they gave her a baby doll (it was Jenna's when she was younger. Madalyn has started calling her baby Nah Nah (not Nana). She actually has called herself that a few times when she has seen her reflection in the mirror. When we were in Orlando visiting Jeff and Casey she saw twin babies at Toys R Us and kept pointing at them and saying Nah Nah! So we hav assumed this is her word for "baby."

The Pooh Car

2008-07-23T17:11:00.007-05:00

For Madalyn's first birthday our dear friends Helene and Jim bought her a little ride on Winnie the Pooh car. It quickly became Maddie's favorite. She pushed it around before she was a confident walker, and now she rides it around the house. Her favorite part of the Pooh car? The lift up seat. Madalyn is very much a gatherer, and walks around the house picking up random items that eventually make their way into her Pooh trunk. I am constantly recovering sippy cups, random toys, snack foods... you name it, it has come to rest in the Pooh car! Nail polish missing? In the Pooh car. Can't find the remote? Check the Pooh car. Allie and Ava are obsessed with getting snack foods out of the Pooh car.

The cutest thing she has stuck in there? She dug through my drawer of photos (oh yeah she can open those now!) and pulled this one out. If you cant tell, it is a picture of Maddie and Savannah from Halloween. (Piglet and Pooh.) She carries it around with her. I couldnt make that up!

Maternity Photo Shoot

2008-07-23T10:10:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I had my first maternity shoot... and had a lot of fun! This mommy to be was such a joy to photograph. Check out my photo blog for more from this shoot!

Today

2008-07-12T23:26:00.002-05:00

Well it rained, but I still decided to go take some pictures at a catholic church down the street from Jeff and Casey's house. Madalyn came with me, but was unhappy in her stroller, so I let her out to play. She had a great time jumping in puddles and running in the rain! Check out my photography site for more pictures!

Anunciation Catholic Church

2008-07-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

Fun Time with Madalyn

2008-07-01T22:06:00.005-05:00

Now that Madalyn is walking she hates being cooped up in the shopping cart at the grocery store, which has made shopping quite a challenge. But her cart at home... thats another story all together! Daddy put her in the cart and pushed her around the house and she laughed like it was the MOST FUN EVER!

The bunny hat is some silly hat I found on sale and bought for Easter that of course she wouldnt wear. She pulled it out of her drawer and brought it to me, and let me put it on her! I was shocked when she kept it on... and the pics were so cute I had to share.

Her newest gams is climbing. Which is great that she can climb off the couch and bed on her own, but now she wants to climb up on everything.... little Miss Adventure.

And for a kid who never sits still... she watched the entire hour of the Olympic trials for swimming with me tonight on the couch.... either she thinks Michael Phelps is cute or she wants to be a swimmer!
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Fingerpainting

2008-07-01T22:01:00.002-05:00

Madalyn and I got to play Bob Ross today and we had some fun with fingerpainting. Her BEAUTIFUL picture is drying so I will post a picture of that soon, but she had a lot of fun. (Are you kidding- this was right up her alley! Giving her something thats completely messy and encouraging her to play with it!) The best part.... the paint was 100% washable and even came out of her white onesie!

Playing with Bubbles

2008-07-01T21:58:00.001-05:00

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

2008-06-24T15:08:00.001-05:00

Here are some of my pictures from my photoshoot at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. I want to go back there and spend and entire day just taking pictures of this beautiful place. I LOVE the black and white one, there is something so inviting about a path that is going somewhere (insert silly metaphor here!) The spider picture was actually taken in the woods doing the photo shoot of the W family... I just happened to spot it while walking out there.

14 Month Update

2008-06-24T13:51:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I know its a little late. Maybe a lot late since Madalyn is actually turning 15 months in about 10 days... but better late than never.

Our little cuddlebug weighs in at a whopping 19 pounds, 12 ounces. If you've been keeping track she has actually LOST weight since her first birthday! I guess thats what happens when you are a super busy baby and are always on the go go go! She has gotten longer though and is now 29 and 1/2 inches, which seems big to me but still makes her a little peanut.

Madalyn LOVES animals of any kind. Loves them. We were taking pictures of Zach and Carey for the engagement shoot and there was a stray cat at the botanical gardens. Madalyn kept chasing it yelling "hi kitty! hi kitty!" The only kitty she has ever been around is Jenna's cat Tebow, so she remembered from then! She always says "hi doggie" to other dogs, and when we go for walks she gets all excited to see the dogs in people's backyards. She didnt know quite what to make of Gigi's dogs- I think because all the dogs she knows are big and cats are small, so she didnt know what they were!

Her vocabulary is pretty big, though she hardly says any words clearly. I can understand her, and Shawn can also sometimes get what she is saying. Some words are a stretch, but you can kind of get the idea of what she is trying to say. Here are some words in her vocabulary:

MAMA (more like mmmmmmama, because we used to annnouniate the "mmm")

DADA (she calls herself Dada, when she sees herself in the mirror. I dont know why.)

DUCK- her official first word. She has one in the tub and she pointed at it and said "duck" when she was about 11 months old. She also called the penguins at SeaWorld "duck" (hey they are birds in water, it works!)

DOGGIE

ALLIE (Aowie)

AVA (AAAAAAaaaa)

THAT/THIS (As in what is that? She points and asks about everything.)

LIGHT- quite possibly her favorite word. She points out every light she sees, including the lights in the car. She is fascinated with overhead lights.

FISH- to our fish tank, and the fish in the bathtub, on the tiles, and in her room. It kind of sounds like "ish"

HI- to anything and everything

BYE BYE

HEY

UH OH- this kid has a lot of Uh Ohs! She says it whenever she drops something, and sometimes drops stuff on purpose to get to say it. Absolutely adorable.

NICE- probably because we tell her to "be nice" so much

MILK- what she calls her bottle (no ba ba here!) The other morning she pointed toa bottle and said "milk" because she wanted her morning bottle

PLEASE- she just said this one today when she wanted something that I had, I told her to say please and she said it twice (peeese)

MOMMY- she said this once, when Ava knocked her down she whimpered "mommy".

She also says OOOHHH OOOOHHH when she wants something

NOSE- she will point to a nose and say nose (nise)

EYE- kind of sounds like Ava (aaaaayyyyeeee) but she points at the eye and says it

MOUTH- (maaaaoooow) she points to the lips and says this

I am sure there are more.... I am just not able to think of them. But I will add them to the list as I think of them... But I have 20 words listed, not bad for 14 months!

Right now madalyn is laying in the dog crate with Ava and enjoying "quiet time". No, I did not put my daughter in a cage, she just loves laying in there and petting her doggie. This is what she does in place of naptime.

Madalyn just brought me a book to read her, so I guess I better wrap this up!

Kanapaha Photo Shoot

2008-06-17T22:22:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing some of our very dear friends. We did an engagement shoot for Zach and Carey and also took some pictures with their 3 year old Kya. I will be photographing their wedding on September 13th as well at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens here in Gainesville. If you are even in the area, I definitely recommend a trip to the botanical gardens... they are absolutely stunning! Check out my photography blog for more pictures.

I am truly touched

2008-06-15T01:16:00.003-05:00

Life is very much a mystery to me, why things happen and where they happen and who they happen to. I would like to be a stronger person, to have a deeper belief in Christ and to be able to see strength in times of pain, but sometimes I am blind to all of this. It is late, and I am up thinking, and when I post this blog it will most definitely be much later than I should have allowed myself to stay up. But the wheels are spinning in my head, and I need to sort out my thoughts, and there is no better forum then this.

There are so many things wrong with the world. We have oil companies with record profits and yet there are families who cannot afford the gas in their cars to go to work. We have people who have a desperate need for health insurance, who cannot afford the medication that their bodies need to be healthy and who work every day to be told that they are not able to be insured. We constantly have toys recalled because cheap labor ensures they are unfit for our children to safely play with. The very gravity of the reality of life these days is enough to make anyone sick to their stomach.

And then I stumble upon a blog on here that moved me the way nothing has ever moved me before. My sister has read this blog, Bring the Rain, and friends have mentioned it, but it wasnt until I stumbled upon a link from a photography site that I was on when I actually read it. Perhaps God was waiting for the right time to have me read this blog, to a time where I would be open to all of the emotions associated with it.

April 7th of this year, this woman who so openly and devotedly speaks of her life, gave birth to a baby girl Audrey Caroline who lived for two and a half hours. The blog chronicles her journey through her pregnancy, knowing that her daughter would likely not survive delivery, let alone a few hours. It is the most beautiful, heartbreaking story I have ever read.

April 7th of this year I excitedly planned my own daughter's first birthday party. While reading this story, I thought back on my own joy on that very day as we celebrated a year of our daughter's life. And somewhere, not that far away, a mother was having that very joy taken from her as God took her daughter to heaven to live with him.

Being a mother has changed me in so many ways, so many more ways then most people will ever be able to understand. There was a time where I didnt even know if I wanted children and a husband and a "normal suburban life." Obviously God had bigger plans for me than I had for myself, because by a series of incredible circumstances I am blessed with the most amazing husband a woman could ever dream of having, and an absolutely beautiful little girl who is the light of our lives.

Being pregnant was a special time with me, and I experienced a bond that I dont think there are words to describe. Those thirty nine weeks that I carried Madalyn was a time where I learned what it was to truly have unconditional love for someone. I can remember our ultrasound, where we found out we were having a girl... and all the images of mothers and daughters that flashed through my head. All the pedicures and sleepovers and playing dress up and "girl talk" that we would have. Her on her wedding day, her having her own children. I believe I truly was born to have a daughter.

I cant imagine carrying a baby, feeling every kick and poke and hiccup and knowing that once she was born she would be leaving me. I dont think I can cry enough tears for all of the mothers that have had to experience this. It truly breaks my heart, to think of being the only person who will every truly know that baby before it is taken far too soon. And having to explain it to other daughters, just as the Mom in this blog had to. Young children shouldnt have to experience a loss like that. They shouldnt have to know what it is like to lose someone they love.

My daughter is my life. She is my peace at night before I go to sleep, the ray of sunshine that greets me when I wake up. After a long shift at work, her smile greets me at the door with an exuberant "Mama!" as she holds her arms out to me, palms up and pulls her fingers in (her motion for "up." And then I lift her into my arms and kiss her and she pats my cheek and smiles and has three pearly teeth in that wide expanse of shiny gums.... and it is the promise of a new day.

Its a little easier to pay $4.15 a gallon for gas when my beautiful daughter is seated in the backseat watching me pump it. She is alive, and she is healthy, and in the great grand scheme of life that is what matters. Everything else is trivial and inconsequential.

If you havent read Audrey Caroline's story, please take the time to read it. This is a woman who truly believes in the love of God, who truly believes that He would not set a trial before her that she was not strong enough to conquor. She honestly is my hero, a real person who has so selflessly given to carry a child that she knew would not live. I still have pain from my C section, but it is a small price to have paid for my beautiful healthy daughter. This mother had a Csection because it was what was best for her baby, and she has the scar to prove it, though no baby to hold in her arms and cradle at night.

Please pray for the Smith family, and in your prayers please include all those who do not know how lucky they are. After reading this story, it has made me really think about what is important in life, and realize how truly blessed I am to have all that I do. I am so undeserving of all of it. I am truly humbled by the beauty and love of this mother, and my heart aches with the pain of all that she has been through. Maybe tonight God spoke to me because he knew I might listen, gave us a long enough break from running calls to where I could read her story in entirety and soak it in, where I laid in bed, tears running down my face, thanking Him for all that I have and missing Madalyn and Shawn so much.

www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com

Maddie's Toes

2008-06-14T09:25:00.003-05:00

You can barely catch Miss Madalyn, let alone get her to sit still. She is a ball of energy and is always on the go go go! Even when she is exhausted she will lay down and wiggle to keep herself awake. She is so scared she will miss something important!

So imagine my surprise when, while painting my fingernails the other day, Madalyn came over and showed interest. I told her I could paint her nails but she would have to sit still while I did them. I pulled her up on my lap, and she got her first pedicure!

Three Whole Teeth!

2008-06-14T09:21:00.002-05:00

I can remember the day when Madalyn was 11 weeks old and I took her to the doctor because she was pulling at her ears and I thought she had an ear infection. "She teething," the doctor told me. She rubbed her fingers along her gums and said the words that every breastfeeding mother dreads. "She will probably cut teeth early."

Flash forward a year later and my daughter just now cut her third tooth! So much for early! Madalyn got teeth #1 and #2 right around her first birthday. And this past week, on her fourteenth month birthday, here comes tooth #3!

Rainy Day

2008-06-10T17:35:00.001-05:00

Well, we got what we wished for. We have been under a severe thunderstorm warning all afternoon and Madalyn and I have enjoyed a lazy day day inside. Our grass is looking absolutely beautiful!

A Sigh of Relief

2008-06-09T18:11:00.002-05:00

Ahhh.... its raining and I think our grass just breathed a huge sigh of relief. It has been days, weeks, probably months since there was much more than a few drops of rain at any given time. My poor husband has been trying to keep up with the watering by moving the sprinklers around to catch the dry spots (I am sure it is illegal to water every day, but we will play stupid.)
So this evening, imagine our delight when we looked outside and saw raindrops falling. I think I heard the flowers and the trees singing in delight as they soaked up the water.
Maybe the afternoon rainstorms are finally here. One can hope....

Sea World Trip

2008-06-08T17:14:00.006-05:00

Every time we have been to Orlando we have tried to make a trip to Sea World to no avail, so for our anniversary we made it a priority to go. What an amazing time we had! Sea World is so family friendly, and a great place to take babies. (And toddlers!) Madalyn had a great time.... she was very much into all of the people and the noise and everything going on. Madalyn loved the penguins - she called them ducks and kept yelling "duck!" and pointing. I guess she wasnt too far off... it was a bird in the water after all. She wasnt too thrilled when she got splashed by Shamu (I didnt realize they really splashed at the night show. Stupid Mommy.) For our anniversary dinner we ate at The Cove resturaunt which meant we got to eat right next to Shamu's holding tank and then had reserved seats at the Shamu Rocks show. We had a really long day- got there at 11 and stayed until the park closed. Madalyn was such a trooper... she napped in her stroller and was very much agreeable the entire time. She LOVED the fireworks. The only tears we had were when we took her to play in the water in the kiddie area, then left after about half an hour or so (she really didnt want to leave, but all the kids running around made me nervous because they were so much bigger than her!)

Cavanaugh Photo Shoot

2008-06-05T20:34:00.003-05:00

Here are some of my favorite shots from this weekend. Stay tuned for some Swanson family Sea World pics as well! And check out more pics on my photography blog, or on the Alana gallery on www.jlsphotographystudio.com.

Well, I did it!

2008-05-27T22:15:00.004-05:00

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

2008-05-25T17:29:00.003-05:00

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....

2008-05-22T12:01:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-05-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

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...

2008-05-18T09:39:00.006-05:00

Parent's Magazine Cover

2008-05-17T21:35:00.003-05:00

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

2008-05-06T18:17:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-06T17:54:00.004-05:00

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

2008-05-04T20:06:00.004-05:00

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

2008-05-04T19:44:00.003-05:00

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!

Daddy's Little Helper

2008-04-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

Learning construction at an early age! Madalyn is fascinated with our new sink and fixture!

Giddyup Allie!

2008-04-26T21:11:00.000-05:00

Our New Kitchen

2008-04-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

The span of my husband's talent never ceases to amaze me. When we bought this house a year ago the kitchen featured cabinets circa early 1960s. There were bright blue laminate coutertops and old oak cabinetry. Shawn gutted the entire kitchen and then filled in cabinets that were white from Lowes. Over the past year we have added handles and some appliances. Then we added a corner island for more storage and laid black granite tiles for the countertop. They looked so good that Shawn decided to tear up the new laminate and replace it with granite. Add a slate/stone backplash and voila! A new kitchen. Last week we bought a new stainless steel stove, so the only appliance left to replace is the refridgerator (coming soon....) Here are some pictures. The backsplash still needs to be grouted, so stay tuned for the finished product!

First Birthday Slideshow

2008-04-19T20:00:00.002-05:00

Playing Outside

2008-04-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

Hammock Nap Time

2008-04-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

Breathing a Sigh of Relief

2008-04-10T20:32:00.003-05:00

Whew. Well a very long day is now almost over, thankfully. This morning Shawn's father had open heart surgery. We originally thought that he was having a triple bypass, but his cardiologist decided that since his fourth artery was 60% clogged they would try to d a quadruple while they were in there, hopefully saving him a trip to the cath lab later on.

So we were up early this morning. (We even had to wake Madalyn up- thats how early it was!) We were able to make it to the hospital in enough time to spend about half a hour with him before his surgery. Then we waited in the OR waiting room until about 1030 when the baby had had enough. So we left for a few hours and waited for the phone call that he was out of surgery and everything went successfully. I think they finished about noon and everything went extremely well.

He is currently in ICU and will be there until tomorrow. The Respiratory Therapists were hoping to have him extubated by this evening, which will be nice! We went by there about 5 pm and were able to see him for 15 minutes, which was about enough time to rotate through and say hi. But it is definitely a relief to know that the hard part is behind us and that he is healthy.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Shawn and I greatly appreciate it.

Nap time

2008-04-09T08:55:00.000-05:00

All tuckered out after a snack of animal crackers.