Our new baby boy
--Ian Broderick--
It seemed like it took a year of pregnancy; but he finally, finally came. He was a very perfect size–a little over six and a half pounds and was quite darling from the start. Besides for a rough first week for Zachary (and therefore all of us) the transition has gone very well. I can hardly believe he’s already three weeks old!
I’ve been spoiled with great help and support. Now if we can just start sleeping at night again sometime…
Summertime, happiness, children, exploration, laughter, bubbles, playtime…what could be more beautiful?
A child’s joy is contagious.
Watch it.
Enjoy it.
Let it inspire you.
These are the last of my “favorites” series which seems to have been abandoned.
My most recent favorite of Zachary:
As one of the decluttering jobs I’ve been working on, I’m going through the stacks of picture back-up CDs that have accumulated the last few years. I really like this picture of my nephew Lawrance.
I loved it two and a half years ago when it was first taken, but I never dreamed at the time that I would someday call myself a photographer. I’ve always believed in dreaming big…I think. I’m kind of seeing that I like to dream, but I don’t really expect most of my dreams to come true. Maybe I won’t completely disown the idea of becoming an international photojournalist. 
For now I’m so very happy that portrait photography has changed from dream to reality for me.
Thanks to all of you who voted in the post below. It looks like most people prefer replies in the comment section, so that’s what I’ll try to do. If you would like to have follow-up comments emailed to you, check the little box beside “Email me follow up comments” –or something like that– underneath the “Submit Comment” button. Just be sure to check the box before submitting your comment.
As for what’s been keeping me busy, that would look like this:
and later this:
As well as other jobs that are not quite as fun, but have been on my to-do-sometime list for months. The end of pregnancy really is a good time to get a lot of stuff like that out the way–backing up pictures, cleaning up the computer, ordering almost a year’s worth of personal pictures (with hopes of blasting away on scrapbooking soon), filing taxes, planting our garden several weeks later than everyone else, decluttering closets and drawers…. The list is still long, but it feels GREAT to get some of these jobs checked off!
Next decision: quick snooze or finish ironing?
When you leave a comment on a blog and the blogger responds back to you, do you prefer for her to respond via email or in the comments section? I haven’t decided what works better because I see pros and cons in both options.
Responding in the comments section: I like this because if someone else asks a question that I may have been wondering about as well, I can see the answer when I read the comments. On the other hand, sometimes I have left a comment or question that I was hoping the blogger will respond to, but I forget to go back and check to see if they answered.
Responding via personal email: When I get a personal email, I feel as though my opinion or question is important to the blogger and I like the personal touch. The downside, of course, is that no one else reads the answer to a posted question.
Both: Maybe this would be ideal, but seems like a lot of work and I might be (am) too lazy.
So, I’m undecided. Since I’m trying to figure out what would work best here (and because I love comments and definitely want to encourage them ), I would love if you would do me the favor of giving your preference in the poll below. (If you’re reading this in a feed, you may need to visit the blog to vote.)
Here, I finally am with a lot more pictures from Nate and Jamie’s wedding. I was so glad I got the chance to help shoot their wedding! To start off with, here are a few of Jamie getting dressed:
Lo-o-o-ve this one–
Jamie planned a special time for the two of them to have their first look in the sanctuary. Mary Lou and I got to “sneak”–not really since it was planned–some shots from balcony.
More Bride and Groom:
+ Bridal Party:
Sisters:
Three girls, just like in my family. It was fun to watch them together, because they reminded me a little of us.
A few candids and pre-wedding shots:
[do not miss Slater's signature at the bottom of the mat. a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.]
“Going to the Chapel”
I had to restrain myself from cheering a loud, “Woot! Woot! Woot!” for the gorgeous light in this church! Just wonderful. If you want to make your photographer happy and end up with beautiful wedding ceremony pictures *especially if there are no-flash restrictions,* look for a church with lots of windows that allow natural light to pour inside.
Reception Details:
Congratulations, you two, as you begin your Happily Ever After. 
For Jonathan’s senior session, we met up at an abandoned depot in downtown Abbeville. I really like this spot–it has such great character. This was my first experience photographing a senior guy, but Jonathan was easy to work with and made my job a breeze.
Congratulations on your graduation, Jonathan! (And I must add–Kudos to his parents for raising such a polite young man!)
Here is the darling newborn I got to play with the other day. I so enjoyed meeting her mommy, and
her big sister Reaganne, too. Reaganne is a month older than Zachary, so it was especially fun for me to interact with her.
Changes–
Today I went in for a routine OB appointment and found out that things are progressing a little more than they should be at thrity weeks. The doctor told me to take it easy and said I should not do any more photoshoots. I begged *a little* for him to okay me finishing up this week’s two. (Especially because one is a newborn, which I really, really want to do.) He gave me permission with a few conditions. I guess, sadly, that means I’ll be done for a few months; but taking care of the baby comes first.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of helping my friend Mary Lou shoot Nate and Jamie’s wedding. She is very flexible and lets me have as much free reign as I want. That’s fun. Besides, when I’m with her, I laugh all the time. Here’s one image from the wedding and hopefully I’ll have a few (or knowing me, a lot) more up just soon.
Saturday was what you would call a perfect day. Bridget wanted to take her pictures at Reedy Falls Park in Greenville. I had never been there before, but it only took one glance look to know I was in love. It is the most gorgeous park with a river running through the middle. There are several waterfalls, rolling GREEN hills, and flower bed upon flower bed, benches, bridges, and swings. We had quite the fun time tromping all over and finding great locations. The only problem is we ended up with TONS of pictures (if that’s a problem), so I’m having quite the time sorting through them. Here are some of the ones that jumped out at me today:
How adorable are these dimples??! I’m afraid I have a serious case of dimple-envy about right now.
Bridget, thanks for the great time and for introducing me to the park!
Steve and Zachary hung out at Barnes and Noble while we were shooting pictures. After listening to my glowing description of the park, Steve suggested heading back up there for lunch. We ate out on a veranda overlooking the falls and basked in the warm sunshine. Zachary loved the park every bit as much as we did and ran and splashed to his heart’s content. Now I’m just dreaming of a night out with Steve close to there sometime!
