Portrait Session: Miss Carmella {SIX months}

I had so much fun photographing this little girl for her 6 month session! Her personality was so full of joy and playfulness, and I am thrilled to get to photograph her again for her big ONE year session!

Take a look at a few of my favs from this shoot....

And just as an added bonus, check out the serious editing skills below. Always remember, safety first while shooting!

All images are Copyright JB gallery

Find us on facebook!

Portrait Session: Miss Brylee {5 days new}

I had the privledge of photographing precious Miss Brylee on just her sweet fifth day of life! For those of you who don't know, a little secret of mine is that I absolutely LOVE photographing newborns... especially precious little angels like Miss Brylee. Could she seriously be any prettier?!!

Here's a few of my favorite shots of this darling little girl and her sweet family...

All images are Copyright JB gallery

Find us on facebook!

Happy Baby = Happy Mommy

Shortly after we brought Audrey home from the hospital (after being born), we noticed a huge difference between her and how Ava was after birth. Audrey was so calm and laid back. You barely even knew she was there. It was nice! Then, after about a month, we started seeing signs of unhappiness very similar to Ava as a newborn, and really the only thing that would calm her down was when we would hold her and bounce up and down on our exercise ball. We knew to try it because that's how we would calm Ava down. Now you wouldn't think that was such a bad thing... until you had to do it for HOURS! We would be up until late hours of the night (EVERY NIGHT) and early morning bouncing her on that stupid ball. With all those memories of long, difficult hours spent on the ball with Ava as a newborn flooding back into reality, we decided right away to play detective and really find out what was making Audrey so unhappy. We knew that it couldn't be behavioral yet because she was much too young. We started keeping track of certain patterns and abnormal characteristics.

We were beginning to recognize repeated signs of acid reflux. Having had to deal with it with Ava, we felt like pros diagnosing the signs when Audrey began displaying them. She would arch her back soon after every feeding or if she had been crying a lot, and she would cry, almost scream, when she had the hiccups or if she burped. We felt so very helpless at times. Our baby was clearly crying in pain and there was nothing we could do to make her feel better. We had even done research on what different cries sound like and what they mean to confirm that she was in deed crying in pain. So we called the pediatrician and had her call in a acid reflux medication for Audrey. We knew the medicine wouldn't stop the reflux, but it would decrease the pain caused by the reflux. At this point the story should start getting happy, right?! Wrong! The medicine that our pediatrician gave us was Zantac, which may work for some babies... but not our baby. In fact, we really didn't see any change in her. So, after about a week and a half (because we thought we'd at least give it a try), we called the pediatrician yet again to have her this time prescribe Audrey Prevacid. Prevacid was the med that Ava was on when she was a newborn, and back then we had noticed almost immediately a decrease in the pain caused by acid reflux. Why our pediatrician didn't first prescribe Prevacid, I'll never know. Now the story gets a little happier. Soon after giving her the Prevacid, we were starting to see a change. But... something was still bothering her. Back on went the detective hat because we apparently had more investing to do. Too bad babies aren't born with the ability to speak... so they could tell us all of their problems!

I was now taking note of what I was eating to see if something I ate was going through my breast milk and causing her to be unhappy. I also researched certain foods that mother's eat that are irritants to breast-fed babies. One thing that kept coming up article after article was cow's milk. This was something I wasn't too thrilled to try because as you know from reading my previous blog post about pregnancy cravings, I LOVE milk, pregnant or not. But, if giving up something I love means having a happy, comfortable baby, then it's definitely worth a try! The story is about to get even happier... After about a week, we were beginning to notice a difference. There were less periods of crying, and we were even getting to bed a little earlier. But... something was still bothering her. You'd think we'd just kept that darn detective hat on, right?!

At this point we were about ready to throw that stupid exercise ball out the window and just let her cry! But for those of you who know me, you'd know I'd never let that happen. I know it's healthy to let your baby cry every now at then, but that's when she's crying for no reason... she's been fed, she's been changed, she's not in pain... but I knew there was a reason for why she was crying, so I just could't stand by and let it happen. We even went as far as to give her Mylicon, an anti-gas med for babies (it seemed to have helped Ava when she was a newborn), not necessarily because she had a significant amount of gas or that the gas she did have was possibly causing her pain, but mostly because we were running out of ideas.

Our next thought was to see if there was a baby contraption on the market that did the same thing we were doing on the exercise ball. We had seen those baby bouncers that are available but didn't think those would work because they only bounce if the baby causes it to bounce. We needed something to just do it on it's own. So, while we were shopping in Target one day with the girls, we were walking through the baby section and there it was... Bright Starts Automatic Bouncer. We had to have it! Our backs were already starting to feel better as we were going through the check-out. Once we were home, we had to try it. At first she seemed a little satisfied, but it wasn't soon after that she realized it was just a machine... it wasn't human. And there we were... right back in the same boat.

We were running out of ideas... our detective hat was falling off and we weren't even sure if we wanted to put it back on. Until... we had the idea of trying a pacifier. Of really trying the pacifier. See, we had tried the paccie on Audrey a couple of times before, but she could have cared less, but this time we were going to be serious about it. I suppose we weren't serious before, and I was hesitant, because I was afraid of what it would mean for Audrey to take a paccie. I was worried about nipple confusion and that it might cause her to not want to breastfeed anymore. So, I decided to do my homework on paccies and the effects. Here's what I found:

+'s
* Paccies may help soothe a fussy baby. Babies like sucking on something. The sucking motion makes them feel safe and provides comfort.
* Paccies help babies fall asleep.This probably goes back to the fact that babies like having something to suck on.
* Sucking on a paccie promotes oral muscle function and development.
* If breast-feeding is well established, a paccie won't interfere with nursing or cause nipple confusion.

-'s
* Paccies can cause dependence. If your baby likes to fall asleep to a paccie, you may have a long night ahead of you, having to get up and put the paccie in her mouth every time she wakes up.
* Prolonged pacifier use may lead to dental problems.

With all those positive reasons to use a paccie and very few negatives, I was ready to give it a try. And I'm sooo glad we did. We can now rock in our rocker with Audrey, sit on a non-moving chair, place her in her automatic bouncer or swing, and even lie her down all by herself... all with the help of that incredible little plastic nipple... the Pacifier!

The paccie has even provided relief for us when it's time for bed. Instead of bouncing on that ball for hours upon hours night after night, we lay her down in bed beside us, and hold in the paccie for just a little while, until she falls asleep. Thankfully we only have to do this initially when going to bed and not every time she wakes up to feed during the night.

Audrey takes the soothie paccie... mostly because that's the one we tried her with. With the little finger insert, it allows us to keep it in her mouth while providing a warm, human-like sensation for her. I'm not sure what results come from the nuk vs. platex vs. soothie debate. We just know that this paccie is working, so there's no need to try a different one. Although, one downside to using the soothie paccie was the fact I had to constantly pick it up off the ground every time she would pop it out of her mouth. Most of the paccie clips on the market, that I had seen, were made for paccies with a handle. And as you can see from the picture I took above, the soothie paccie doesn't have a handle.

But, I'm happy to report that I found a great little paccie clip online at Amazon made specifically for soothie paccies that even works for paccies with handles. Modern Marvels! I just got it in the mail two days ago, and so far I love it! Now when I'm holding Audrey in one hand, the paccie clip allows me to functionally be able to use my other hand, and no worries now if she pops it out.

Keep in mind that we don't give Audrey the paccie all the time. We first see if she can handle being without it. We want her to eventually be able to find other ways to comfort herself. But when she gets fussy and isn't satisfied with just rocking or swinging or whatever, then in goes the paccie, and all is well.

So, thankfully, this story does have a happy ending.
Audrey is happier. Mommy is happier. Life is good :)


Audrey enjoying her paccie.

Big sister, Ava, helping :)

Photography Tip #6: Photographing Little Ones

Let's face it, capturing babies on camera is usually easier said than done... the moments you want to capture that is. Even if babies can follow verbal commands, often times they choose not to. They don't smile on cue. And if they aren't in the mood to have their picture taken when you're in the mood, then just forget it. But there's hope. Here are several tricks to taking better photos of your baby when both you and she are ready!


Get Candid


Posed photos have a time and place, but you'll find that more often than not, the photos you treasure the most are those candid shots of your child unselfconsciously taken while at play. I love taking pictures of my daughters looking directly at the camera, but I always look for ways to photograph them unaware, absorbed in whatever they're doing at the time.

Be patient. Wait for genuine smiles. If needed, try talking and engaging with your little one from behind your lens. Bring your camera to playtime often so that she gets comfortable having it around. After a while, chances are the little one will forget it's even there and return to whatever it was that she was doing. You will capture some precious moments that will document the spirit of your child.

Don't Forget Yourself

It's easy to get caught up in taking pictures of your beautiful little one, but remember that it's equally important to include family members in some photos now and then... including yourself. I've often found myself guilty of excluding myself from photos, especially since I'm the primary photographer in the house. But, thankfully I have a husband who loves taking photos as much as I do and enjoys utilizing proper photographing techniques. Find someone in your house to capture pictures of you playing with you little one. You'll look back on these images with a certain joy remembering what fun it was at the time.

Don't Leave Home Without IT

Remember to bring your camera with you as often as you can so you don't miss out on unexpected photo opportunities. 

Even though many cell phones have reasonably decent cameras built in, they can't compete with the higher quality resolution your camera has. They are usually too low resolution to generate a good print. 

Over-shoot

Digital photography is free and unlimited, so take as many pictures as you can. Children are fast moving. Sometimes the tiniest detail - an eye that's half open, the position of a hand or foot, or half of their face is in the shadow - can make or break a shot. Sometimes out of 10 shots, I get 1 that's a keeper. So, keep that trigger finger clicking... you'll be happy to have lots of choices when it comes time to view all your work.

Pay Attention To Background

Have you ever settled down to take that perfect shot, when you later looked at it only to notice that ugly shoe lying in the bottom left of the image or some other distracting element that should have been moved prior to taking the picture? I have done that many of times. That's one of the reasons I'm so thankful for Photoshop as it provides the ability to remove unwanted objects from an image. However, if you don't own Photoshop, you may want to get in the habit of noticing what's in your frame and quickly clearing out unwanted items before you take the shot. I've gotten myself in the habit as well to reduce the amount of post-production later on. 

Hire a PRO

There's a time and a place to have a professional photograph you and your little one, and while the pictures you take are precious, there is no substitution for professional photos. There are vast differences between a causal snapshot and a carefully composed and executed image. Beautiful photos taken with proper photographic technique become family treasures and timeless keepsakes for generations. Some of the best times to hire a professional photographer are during those childhood milestones when your little ones features are constantly changing: newborn, 3-4 months, 6-9 months, 3-4 years, and early teen years.

Audrey's Birth Story

Around 12:30am on February 10, 2011, the day that Miss Audrey was due, I began having more difficult, menstrual cramp-like, contractions. I had had similar contractions several nights prior to this night, but when they began coming more and more often, I knew Audrey was getting ready. The contractions were so intense they would force me to get out of bed. Leaning on the side of the bed seemed to be the best position for me to get through the pain of each one. We began writing down the start time and time between each contraction at 3:54am. My hubby, Jeremiah, kept the stats for most of the contractions.

Looking back, I realize now just how not so very painful these beginning contractions were compared to what was to come. Around 4am or so I decided it would probably be a good time to call my parents to let them know that I was fairly certain that I was in labor since they were 3 hours away and would need to head out earlier rather than later. We needed them to be here to watch Ava for us. Jeremiah and I decided to go back to bed since it was probably best not to go to the hospital too soon and to allow Ava continue sleeping in her comfy crib. We, of course, didn’t really get back to sleep as my contractions just kept coming, but at least we were able to “rest”. Ava got up around 7:30am. At this point, some of my contractions were actually bringing me to tears. We fed Ava breakfast, packed our things, and head out to Ruby Memorial Hospital.

We arrived there about 9:30am. We headed up to the 6^th floor and were initially placed in the triage room. My mom and sister, Brooke, had just arrived at the hospital. Perfect timing. They were able to take Ava back to our house so that she wouldn’t have to wait those long hours in the uncomfortable hospital. While in the triage room, the nurses asked me if my water had broke. I told them that I had felt a small gush at the time of my first contraction when I went to the bathroom but wasn’t convinced that it was my water breaking. Just about that time, shortly after they placed the band on my waist to hold the electronic fetal monitor in place, I felt a significant amount of fluid gush out of me as I was lying on the triage bed just about to have a vaginal exam. Sure enough, my water had broke. Perfect timing again. Betsy, my mid-wife, then checked my cervix for dilation and effacement. I was only 1 ½ cm dilated and 90% effaced. We were then admitted into a large, birthing room.

The contractions began coming faster and longer. In the beginning I was more tolerable to certain sounds and smells, but as time progressed I didn’t hold back on letting someone know if I couldn’t stand the way they smelled or if they were talking too loud.  It took an immense amount of effort to focus on breathing and to distract myself from the pain when I was having a contraction. As time went on, the contractions grew closer together and the pain of each began to get worse and worse. I tried different positions. I tried lying, squatting, standing, walking, sitting on the exercise ball, showering, and leaning. No matter what position I was in, the contractions were continuing to take it out of me. I was really starting to get exhausted. I remember a couple times when Jeremiah had to hold me up because I thought I was going to pass out. If I lost focus on how to breathe or forgot to breathe during a contraction, the pain overcame me, and I almost felt as if I was going to faint. My husband truly was a blessing during my whole labor. He let me squeeze his hands during every contraction. He later showed me a mark on his hand where I had squeezed so hard. He was calm and comforting, and I know that I couldn’t have continued to the end without him. He also rubbed my back during most contractions and during the pushing phase. My lower back hurt immensely throughout the whole labor and delivery. Later I found out why… Audrey was posterior (facing my abdomen) and came out with her face pointing upwards. This is also the reason why my contractions were so painful, that and the fact that my water had broke early in labor, which reduced the cushion-effect that would have been provided had it not broke.

I think it was around 2pm when Betsy decided to perform another vaginal exam. She had told me a couple hours before that if I hadn’t progressed to at least 4 cm, she would administer Pitocin to speed things up a little bit. I really did not want Pitocin after having read about the pain involved and contributing negative effects (like almost always having to have an epidural, which I was adamant about not having performed unless absolutely necessary). However, when she checked me, I was right at 4cm, which was a huge blessing. I was also a little sad, though, as I was hoping to be further along, but I continued to think about what Betsy had previously said, “Don’t think about how many contractions are left, just focus on the one that is happening and know that you got through it.” That’s what I did. I knew that if I continued to fear each and every contraction, they would eventually defeat me, and I wasn’t going to give up.

An hour or so went by, and the contractions just kept coming… harder and harder. At this point I was beginning to feel a little defeated. I remember saying that I couldn’t do it anymore. I was thoroughly exhausted… not having slept for many hours and having to literally fight each contraction. The nurse, Kim, and my mid-wife, Betsy, offered me a narcotic, Fentanyl, to take the edge off. Betsy actually told me it was a half dose as she considered that would be more appropriate for my size. The pain med didn't seem to reduce the amount of pain, but it did provide me with the ability to relax a little more, which helped me get a little rest. After the effects of the narcotic wore off, the nurse asked me if it helped any. I told her not really, so Betsy decided to administer the second half. Again, I was able to rest a little, even though the pain was still awful.

  

After a couple more hours, around 5pm or so (I’m estimating the time because I had more important things to do during my labor than watch the clock) I was really feeling the pain. At this point, I heard myself say again, “I can’t do this anymore!” Betsy then decided to do another vaginal exam to see what, if any, progress my cervix had made. Then I heard her gloriously say, “Oh, Breena, you’re going to be so happy. You’re 8 centimeters.” I then said, “Hallelujah Jesus!” I was past the point of administering an epidural and so very close to the end.  Betsy then suggested I get in the shower. I was hesitant but willing. After a couple contractions in the shower, I was begging to get out. It was so difficult to stand without support during those contractions, so Betsy retrieved the exercise ball for me to lean on when I was having a contraction. Although this helped a little, I was still begging to get out. She calming yet firmly said that I could get out after 3 more contractions. I unhappily agreed. After the third one, I got out. I then slowly walked back to the side of the bed. I had shed the gown because, due to its massive size, it was continuing to get in my way. I also requested that they didn’t put the band back on my waist to hold the EFM. I didn’t want anything constricting me or getting in my way at this point.

(Later Jeremiah told me that throughout the whole labor, Betsy was amazed at how calm Audrey was. Her heart rate remained between 130s and 140s. At least one of us was able to remain calm! I’m so proud of her.)

It was then time for Betsy to again check the size and position of my cervix. The time had finally come! I was 10 cm and fully effaced, or as she called it, I was complete. The time to push had come. I initially tried squatting beside the bed, but that quickly became too tiring. Betsy then suggested I squat in the bed with the aid of a squatting bar and lean back in between contractions, but again this was very tiring having to lean up and back every 3 or less minutes. She then suggested I lie back completely. I was, at first, defiant, but decided to give it a try. I, in fact, laid back on my right side having someone continually hold my left leg in the air. This seemed to be the best position. I wouldn’t say the pushing phase was less painful, it was just different painful. Jeremiah rubbed my back throughout the whole pushing process, and he let me squeeze his hand. I was squeezing one of the nurse’s hands as well. When Audrey’s head began to emerge, Betsy told me to reach down and touch her. I couldn’t believe she was almost here. After a couple more pushes, Betsy then told me to reach down and grab my baby. She had finally come through after 16 long hours of labor (roughly an hour of pushing). Jeremiah and I were overwhelmed with joy and love. I held her in my arms watching her take her first breaths of life. She was very alert, breathing perfectly, and a beautiful color. The effects of the narcotic had long worn off, and she hadn’t been affected by it. After the cord quit pulsing, Jeremiah then got to do the honors of cutting it. The nurses then checked her vitals, weighed her, and clothed her before giving her back to me. I then put Audrey on to breastfeed. She immediately latched on and knew just what to do. What a relief and a blessing. Jeremiah and I fell in love with her from the moment we knew we were pregnant, and we will always cherish Audrey’s birth as one of the most miraculous and blessed times in our lives! 

Audrey Claire Johnson was born via VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) at 6:34pm on February 10, 2011. She weighed 7 lbs, 12 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is healthy and absolutely beautiful!

A Glimpse of something Wonderful

I realize that I haven't shown any ultrasound pictures of Audrey yet, and being that I'm fairly certain that I've had all the ultrasounds that I'm going to have during this pregnancy, now's a good time to show all of them off together (well, some of them anyway... we have over 12 pictures of her!).

Before I begin with the pictures, I'll give you a little background on this pregnancy versus my first pregnancy with Ava. Up until about 32 weeks into my first pregnancy, everything was going beautifully. My blood pressure was great. My weight was on track. All of the other important factors the physicians consider during pregnancy were right on cue. Plus, I wasn't having much, if any, symptoms of morning sickness or nausea. I was, in fact, enjoying being pregnant. Then around week 32, while I was at one of my normal weekly prenatal check-ups, the nurse took a high blood pressure reading. I can't remember specifically what it was, but I do remember my diastolic being in the high 80s. They decided to take it again after several minutes to make sure it wasn't a fluke reading. Turns out, it was still high. This was concerning to the doctor. Therefore, he ordered an ultrasound, which revealed a low AFI (amniotic fluid index), which is known as oligohydramnios. From that point on, I was seen twice a week by the high risk physicians, had a least 1 non-stress test per week, and had several ultrasounds during the course of the last few weeks to monitor the AFI.

Each week the fluid seemed to continue to decrease. They recommended I drink more water and get more rest. Even though I was drinking water non-stop (I love water, by the way), I truly tried to drink more and more. I tried to get as much rest as I could, but that was difficult. I was working 40+ hours a week as a speech pathologist in a long-term care nursing facility, which involved a lot of walking and standing and just plain being busy. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to be busy when you're at work and have lots to do, but when you're pregnant, you're not quite as excited about it. So, every evening when I got home, I would feel like a zombie. I think my bed-time was around 8:30-9pm. Some nights even earlier.

The doctors called my "condition" idiopathic, meaning they couldn't find a cause for it. The placenta was functioning perfectly and in the correct position, and there was no evidence of leaking fluid. Plus, Ava always had a full bladder, which indicated that she was urinating and ingesting the fluid properly.

The physician was hopeful to have me wait out my pregnancy until the 37 week mark, but because my AFI was lowering into a critical level by my mid-36 week check-up, they decided to admit me into a room at that moment. I should also mention here that I was then scheduled for a caesarean, rather than being induced, because Ava was frank breach. We think that she was unable to turn into the head down position because of the lack of amniotic fluid. So, at 9:48pm on July 2, 2009, our precious first daughter came into the world, and we were more than happy to see her! That was a moment in our lives that will always be remembered as one of the most blessed and cherished moments. We love her so very much!

Okay, back to the comparison of the pregnancies..... this pregnancy has been such a breeze. I haven't had any complications (knock on wood!!) and all my sats look great. My AFI is perfect. My blood pressure is good. All is well. And... Audrey is already in the head down position. I really think that being able to stay at home with Ava, and not working 40 hours a week (although I do work as a photographer and per diem as an SLP, and don't get me wrong, being a stay-at-home mom in itself is work!) has contributed to my wonderful levels of amniotic fluid. I've been able to get more rest and drink plenty of water.

Also note that I'm planning to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) this time. I was very much mentally prepared to have a vaginal delivery while pregnant with Ava after having read multiple books and watching several videos on the subject. Having read even more books and watched even more videos, I am just as mentally prepared, if not more so, to have a vaginal birth this go around. I think it will allow for a faster, easier recovery and will allow us to have more children in the future.

So, for those of you who haven't fallen asleep because I have made this blog into a book, let's take a look at Audrey, our precious little girl!

7 weeks (the pic says 9 wks, but the ultrasound revealed she is actually only 7)

19 weeks, 5 days

19 weeks, 5 days

36 weeks

36 weeks

In less than 4 weeks (plus or minus), we'll be so very blessed to meet our second precious little daughter for the first time. We can't wait to welcome her into the world and into our lives!

We're ready when you are little girl!

We've finally finished the babies room, and not a moment too soon being that I'm almost 37 weeks pregant! The crib that my sisters and parents got us for Christmas is put together and already made with fresh, clean sheets. I'm not sure if Ava understands why there is a second crib in her room, but she often asks to get in it. I guess she's trying to break it in for her little sister :)

Not only is our little one's crib up and ready, but I finished crafting the letters of her name that are now placed on the wall above her crib. I purchased these letters (unpainted and undecorated) on ebay; the seller's information and store is available at: bens-n-baileys_closest. I followed the same technique to decorate the letters as I did for Ava's letters in one of my recent blogs, Ava's Letters get a Make-Over, and I had a lot of fun doing it! (The only thing I did differently this time was to glue ribbon to the top, back of each letter in order to hang it on the wall). I definitely recommend decorating wooden letters or just crafting in general. It's a lot of fun and so beautiful to look at when completed.

So (for those of you who don't already know) you'll finally be able to see what we plan on naming our second, precious daughter.

Now for the big reveal.........

Here's each letter individually for a better look at the detail.

Here's a pic of Ava's letters (for those of you who may not have seen them).

And here are some pics of the room. (P.S. - The curtains are semi-homemade. Knowing they were way too long when we purchased them at Target, I decided to get them anyway and was able to make several homemade modifications. I trimmed them down to the right length and used my sewing machine to stitch the seam. I then used the remaining material to make the fluffy ruffle for the top. Even though it's difficult to see them in the pic below, they're pretty cute, don't ya think?!)

I think Audrey's going to enjoy her "new" room, and I sure hope Ava enjoys sharing it!! I also hope you've enjoyed looking at the pics and are now possibly inspired to start doing some crafting of your own!