A Memorial Day Tribute

A small tribute to those who have given their lives to protect the freedom we hold so dear. Thank you to all of our men and women who serve in the armed forces. We are grateful for your sacrifice. Happy Memorial Day.

My Lovely June Bride

Yesterday, I shot my June bride's bridal session. Our plan had been to go to Callaway Gardens, but when we got up there, we found out there was an event going on that required an additional fee for each person entering the gardens. So, since the clouds above us were threatening to pour down on us at any moment, we didn't feel like that was a wise investment, so we went to one of my favorite shoot locations, "the field" and then headed downtown for some fun urban shots. JS and her mom were very patient with me as I got them in and out of the car a zillion times. Somehow we managed to keep JS's beautiful dress pretty clean ( I always get nervous about that) and we got some really great shots despite the sprinkles. JS, thank you so much for choosing me as your photographer. I had a blast yesterday, and I cannot wait to shoot your wedding next month! Enjoy your sneak peak!

Newborn and Panels

Last weekend, I took pictures of one of my best friend's little girl, Jillian Grace. She was born the day after Asher. Pip, as her mother calls her, didn't like us messing with her all that much, but she did pretty good, and we were still able to get some cute shots. Here are some of my favorites




The same weekend, I also shoot Hensly's six month panels. Here are some of my favorites from that session as well.

A few from today...

I snuck in a few shots of Asher down by the lake while we were out at my in-laws. Here are some of my favorites.

Asher Elias Ogden

I am proud to announce that baby Asher was born at 1:59 AM Saturday, April 18th... Lance's birthday! He weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 20 inches long. He was absolutely perfect with no complications! The surgery was a little rough for me, but my recovery is going very well, so I can't complain too much. We got home yesterday afternoon, and everyone is still getting settled and used to the idea of having a newborn around the house. Here are a few snap shots of our little bundle of joy:

In Memory...

...of my grandmother, Betty Shouppe. Mawmaw passed away this past thursday in her home in Asheville, NC. She loved the Gaithers, so this video is for her. Because of Mt. Calvary, I know she is better off than any of us here. However, she will be greatly missed.

Personal Update

I haven't posted anything since I went on bed rest over 5 weeks ago, so I wanted to post an update of what's been going on with me pregnancy wise.

I have 1 1/2 weeks left of bed rest and meds to control my contractions, and I am super excited about being free for a little bit. I have been a very bad bed rest patient the last 4 days or so. My nesting urges were uncontainable, so we spent the past weekend getting Asher's nursery ready. I had some wonderful friends come over to help paint the walls (I sat and watched) and my mom has come over several days to help me get things organized. Our house looks like we have moved. There is stuff everywhere since Asher's room used to be my office. It feels really good to have a cute little nursery for my little one to come home to... even though there isn't a whole lot other than furniture to fill it.

Health wise, I have been doing ok. I went to the hospital a couple of weeks ago because I was having some contractions that wouldn't go away. They hooked me up to an IV and gave me some medication that knocked me out, and finally, after a double dose of the medication I take everyday, the contractions slowed way down. That was my last episode of stubborn contractions. Now, I have been dealing with elevated blood pressure. My normal blood pressure (bp) is usually 100-110/50-55, but since February it's been on the rise. The last few weeks when they check my bp at my doctors appointment, it's been 125-138/65-80. Last night, it was 139/91 and this morning shortly after waking up, it was 136/88. My doctors don't seem too worried since I don't have any of the other symptoms of preeclampsia but it really bothers me that my bp is almost 30 points higher than normal. Good news is, I don't have that much longer to worry about it.

Not being able to work is driving me nuts. This gorgeous weather has really been making it hard. I'm really looking forward to the sessions and weddings I have scheduled for when I return from maternity leave. Of course I'm also really looking forward to all the newborn practice I'm going to get. Hopefully in a few weeks, I will be able to post some pictures of my sweet little Asher for you to see.

Until next time....