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Welcome Baby Brother! Read about his arrival in my August 27th entry at the bottom of this month's blog
September 30, 2007 We've had a couple people ask us about the music we used in Jen and Jason's slideshow. As photographers, we expect people to respect that our images are copyrighted and so we want to respect the copyright of a musician's song as well. The music that we used in the slideshow is therefore a royalty free song. We do not feel that it would be right to use copyrighted music and then ask our clients to respect the copyright on our images. That is also why we opted not to have music on our web sites. There are many sources for royalty free music including our favorite, Triple Scoop Music, which is specifically for photographers.
Dad has a Day After / Trash the Dress session today for the couple whose wedding he photographed yesterday. I'm going to save pictures of the wedding and session for the start of October's blog, so as the end of September's blog here is another interview from August's Blog Reader participation Month.
Shanna and Joe: May 11th, 2007 at the Grand Plaza
we hired the best photographer to grab shots of us at sunset in the ocean and stuck that wedding on the beach.
Besides dad of course, who were your favorite vendors?
and
Grand Plaza Florida was so easy to work
with in setting up the venue and reception What were your favorite details from your day?
The funniest or most embarrassing moment that you will
always look back on and laugh?
our nephew
sleeping on his ring bearers pillow
The one thing you think is most important for other brides planning their
weddings to know: it doesn't have to be perfect, the most important thing is that you are married at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how you get there.
September 28, 2007 Last minute discounts are available for weddings on the following 2007 dates (Saturdays in red): November 4th, November 17th, and November 25th December 16th and December 22nd
Everett and I both went to the doctor this week. I got my flu shot and didn't even cry! Mom was so proud of me. I did such a great job just letting them give me the shot and getting it done without a fuss. Everett was there for his 1 month check-up and he is already over 10 lbs now! He got a shot too, but he cried. I don't blame him.
On Tuesday dad went to the beach with our friends Robin and Bronwyn. They wanted some pictures to use for their holiday cards. Robin and Bronwyn are just plain wonderful people so of course dad had a great time as always. I'm not even going to explain this picture .
One of mom's favorites:
Mom loves this picture! With a green border and red "Merry Christmas" text, this would be a great pick as a very clean and modern Christmas card.
No matter how many years you live here, you never get used to holidays in Florida. Mom wanted to make this picture a bit more "festive" even though it is on the beach in Florida.
See you two again soon!
September 25, 2007 Just a reminder...we have a few dates left in 2007 and they are eligible for a Last Minute Discount. The dates are November 4th, November 17th, and November 25th, and December 16th and December 22nd (Saturdays in red).
Today my baby brother is one month old. Mom says he is going through a growth spurt. He has been really fussy the past few days. It figures that after she told everyone what a good baby he was, when they all came over for his Baptism he cried a lot. He is still adorable though. Dad is going to take some pictures today to make Everett's Precious Parts collage. We have a gallery wrap of mine when I was just over a month old. Mine is hanging in the hallway so we will do one for Everett and hang it next to mine.
Dogs have lots of jobs. There are seeing eye dogs, dogs who help people with epilepsy, dogs who smell out bombs, and even new research showing dogs who can sense some forms of cancer. Lately our dog Mudhoney has been doing the oddest thing. He freaks out when the power goes out. He'll bark and run under mom's desk to scratch at wires and the power strip. He'll whine and bark while he's under there and just seems so nervous about it! Sometimes we won't even know the power went out until Mudhoney does this. He can sense the electricity! There has to be some sort of job for a dog that can do that.
Debbie and Bruce have the sort of love that everyone can see whenever they are together. Their wedding was Friday at the DoubleTree Beach Resort. Debbie had Julissa Mercado there for her getting ready and her hair looked great for a beach wedding, with loose curls gathered low and an orchid.
Debbie and Bruce both seemed so relaxed and focused on enjoying their day. Here is Debbie having some fun while taking pictures with her mom.
The ceremony was emotional, with both Debbie and Bruce tearing up at moments and cracking up at others.
The newlyweds:
Their wedding bands:
Dad said Debbie and Bruce's wedding was a great mix of fun and celebration with love and tenderness. Perfect for their "One Love" theme.
Have an awesome time at your second reception this Friday!!!
Saturday was Martine and Neal's wedding at the Tradewinds Island Grand. They couple lives in Northern Virginia, where mom and dad used to live. Martine got ready in the salon at the Tradewinds. Mom likes this picture because almost every bride is on her cell phone as they get ready and mom is always curious about who they are talking to.
The bouquet:
It rained that morning, forcing the ceremony to be moved inside. Dad said the ceremony site inside had good lighting and looked good so it worked out well. This is a sweet is this moment just after the processional, with Martine and her dad sharing a kiss.
The rain was gone in time for the couple to head out to the beach for pictures. Martine and Neal came to Florida for a beach wedding, so it was great to be able to get pictures on the beach for them. The sunset after the rain cleared that evening was gorgeous!
The couple had Artistic Media as their videographers. Mike and Dave are great to work with. Gary from Grant Hemond was the DJ for the reception and the guests were having so much fun dancing that the couple decided to extend their reception. Dad thought it was so cool to hear Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" played. Here is one of the guests showing off her dance moves (no, it wasn't to the Chicken Dance!)
Congratulations Neal and Martine, and maybe we'll see you the next time we're visiting Grammie in VA!
Speaking of Northern VA, mom and dad think it is so interesting that since moving here they have met so many people who lived in the same area and even attended GMU at the same time they were there. Sam (our guest blogger for eco-friendly wedding tips, whose wedding will be in April) even went to the same high school as mom did before going on to GMU and graduating the same year as mom and dad did. Gary, who came to Everett's baptism yesterday, is another GMU alumni. Anyone else?
Sunday was Everett's baptism. We were all excited for Everett to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. He wore the same outfit as I did when I was baptized. My hair was shorter though.
Dad set up his camera and asked our friend Robin to take pictures for us. All of the pictures during the service were taken by him. Thanks Robin! Mom thought it would be nice to describe what is happening in the pictures. The Sacrament of Baptism begins with the Priest, followed by parents, godparents, and friends and family, making the sign of the cross on the baby's forehead to show that the baby now belongs to Jesus.
Water is often the most widely recognized part of a baptism. It symbolizes being cleansed of sin and given new life in Jesus.
Oil of chrism is blessed by the bishop each year on Holy Thursday and used in baptisms and confirmations. During a baptism, this oil is rubbed on the crown of the head as a sign of sealing with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is used again later in life during confirmation when people confirm the profession of faith made for them by their parents during baptism.
Mom has no idea what her and dad are talking about when this picture was taken, but she thought they both had funny expressions. Mom looks very intent and dad looks weirded out by whatever mom is saying.
Here is Aunt Lora, who is both my godmother and Everett's godmother, putting a white garment onto Everett. This is a sign of innocence and being clothed in Christ.
Every Easter, the Easter Vigil Mass begins with lighting a fire which is brought into a dark church as a symbol of the risen Christ (light) dispelling darkness (death). This fire lights the paschal candle on the alter. At a baptism, the baptismal candle is lit from the paschal candle. This represents the light of Christ which will burn throughout the baby's life.
Here I am using the box of the baptismal candle to annoy my Aunt Kellie.
Mom liked this picture of dad kissing Everett's head (with the oil still all over it) after the service had ended.
Everett with his godmother, parents, and Father Mike (Robin took this picture as well).
Everyone who gathered to share in Everett's baptism (except grandma who is taking the picture...oh, and Bronwyn who is hidden behind dad's head). We want to thank all of you so so much for coming to celebrate such a special event with us. We are grateful to have such wonderful friends and family!
Just a cute picture of me that dad took as we were getting ready to leave the church.
We had a celebration for Everett at our house after the service. Dad took a few pictures before sitting down to enjoy the party. Nonna is so wonderful that despite her feeling sick and worn out from daily radiation treatments, she came to the house to see Everett and celebrate with us.
My Great-Uncle Tom and my cousin Amy (my first cousin, once removed to use the technical genealogical term) both came to the house for the party too. Here is Amy being silly:
And one of Aunt Kellie just because:
Gary and Kristi's adorable baby Emelyn slept through the whole service and woke up with lots of smiles at the house. Dad photographed Gary and Kristi's wedding and Emelyn's newborn session and can't wait to do more pictures for their family. Emelyn is such a sweetheart!
Erin and Matt were there as well and they are expecting a baby girl this December. Dad is really excited for their maternity session! We already know that they are going to be awesome parents!!! And tonight dad is out photographing Robin and Bronwyn who are our friends and were at the party. They are taking pictures for their holiday cards. We just want to thank everyone again for coming and for being such awesome people!! For Everett's cake, mom and dad ordered a photo cake with a picture of Everett wearing a "Blessed" onesie and holding a lamb. It looked so cute, and it tasted really yummy with raspberry filling!
Here is Everett at the end of the night. Mom says it looks like he is cheering for himself (as Charity said, "Yay Baptism!" or something like that). Mom thinks it is so funny that his hair is almost a mohawk from the oil.
And what is left of the cake at the end of the night. Kind of freaky!
It was a great day in honor of my little brother. A month has gone by so quickly.
September 24, 2007 Just a quick announcement...
We still have the following weekend dates available for 2007 (Saturdays in red): November 4th, November 17th, and November 25th December 16th and December 22nd
Give dad a call (813-240-6611) for last minute discounts on these dates.
September 23, 2007 Today is Everett's baptism! We are celebrating today, but in a couple days I'll share pictures from both weddings dad photographed this weekend, and of course the Baptism too. While you wait, here is another interview from August's Blog Reader participation Month.
Carly and Will: April 21st, 2007 at the Palmetto
First Baptist Church and Manatee Riverhouse
How did you two meet?
From Carly and Will's Engagement Session
September 21, 2007 Before Everett was born, mom was looking at baby stuff on-line and in catalogs to find things for my baby brother, and some of what she found was just too cute not to share!
Baby Leather Train Shoes
Dad thought these were funny:
Birkenstock Booties
No, it isn't "Kenny" from South Park!
Sweater Kid - Iguana Noah
Mom thinks unique, home-made looking dolls are more timeless and more likely to be kept (and maybe even passed down, which is a sweet thought but unlikely judging by how much "use" I get out of my toys.)
Mini Anemone Mermaid Doll
Wooden, classic looking toys are always cool:
Little Helicopter
And if you know of any moms who are expecting a babies (or if you are pregnant yourself), here is a great gift idea. MoMA Store has a baby foot print kit. Instead of messy inks or plaster, this uses an impression foam!
Baby Foot Print
September 18, 2007 Suzanne and Scott were married on Saturday at Incarnation Church in Sarasota, with a reception following at the beautiful Venetian Golf and River Club. The wedding was elegant yet fun, with a game of flip cup even breaking out during the reception. Dad brought home one of the couple's favors, a jar of strawberry jam homemade by the bride and groom. Mom and I wish we could tell you what it was like, but dad ate it all before we had a chance to try it! He said it was really good and he made himself toast every time he was hungry just so he could have more jam!! Here are some of the pictures from the wedding day:
The beautiful bride in her gorgeous dress. Mom loved the way the material of the dress looked!
The ring bearer:
The bridal party in front of the Venetian River Club:
Showing off their wedding rings:
Scott enjoying the reception:
Suzanne and Scott are such nice people, and their wedding was a blast. They are one of the few couples that mom and I actually got to meet before their wedding day when they came to a little client get together we had at our house a while back. Thanks for having dad there to share the day with you, and congratulations again!
Dad was really excited for the engagement session he had on Sunday. The couple wanted something different than the beach so dad suggested Jungle Gardens in Sarasota. When mom heard that dad was going there, she decided to bring me and Everett as well. Mom hadn't been there since she was a kid and she wanted to take me some where fun since I have been so good since Everett was born. Alicia had described her relationship with her fiancé, Ozzy, as a first grade sort of romance. Dad loved that description and couldn't wait to see their fun and playful personalities come out. He wasn't disappointed!
Look how perfectly the bird matches Alicia's outfit!
In the park there was a pond with a fountain, and all around it were birds. Most prominent were the flamingoes. Just after Alicia and Ozzy shared a kiss on the bench, they both got a little kiss from the flamingoes! At least dad told me it was a kiss when we ran into each other as a way to warn mom without making me scared.
Two of mom's favorites:
Dad is bummed that he isn't available for Alicia and Ozzy's wedding because they are awesome. He said it has been fun getting to know Alicia through emails. You better stay in touch and let us know how everything goes!
While dad, Alicia, and Ozzy were doing the engagement session, me, mom, and Everett were walking around looking at the animals and playing at the playground. These are a few of the pictures mom took:
Mom had to assure me that this was a pretend alligator, and even then I was a bit nervous and wouldn't put my hand in its mouth until mom did it first.
Mom let me buy a small toy alligator in the gift shop, so I was happy.
As the park was closing, it started pouring rain! The women in the gift shop were so worried about Everett getting wet as mom was walking to the car that they opened a poncho and covered the stroller, and then had a guy walk us to the car under his umbrella! That was so nice of them. Of course, as we were avoiding getting wet, dad had Alicia and Ozzy stand in the down pour and get soaked for pictures at the end of their session. They should have borrowed Everett's new poncho .
Last week, grammie came to visit. We had a fun time playing, going out to eat, and doing a bit of shopping. Thanks so much for coming to play with me, grammie! Here is grammie meeting Everett:
And here I am checking out all the fun surprises grammie brought just for me!
Mom says she is way too exhausted to help me with my blog any more tonight, but here are a couple quick recent pictures that we wanted to share... Here I am enjoying a bubble bath, though I'm not thrilled with daddy taking pictures.
And here is my adorable baby brother smiling. The past day or two, he's been smiling more often and it is so precious!
September 17, 2007 Last night Everett and I teamed up against mom and dad. I woke up at 3a.m. and for some reason I could not get back to sleep. I didn't feel tired and I was even in a good mood, not grumpy like I usually am when I just wake up. Mom tried to get me back to sleep for 20 minutes and then Everett woke up crying. Mom had me come sit with her while she nursed him, but even when he was done he did not go back to sleep either. Dad woke up at about 3:45 a.m., but he wasn't in a good mood the way I was when I woke up. Everett was awake and just looking around, so mom felt bad just shutting off the light and making him lay in the dark. It was obvious that I wasn't going back to sleep right away either, so me and my brother kept mom and dad awake for hours. Everett finally got hungry again at about 6 a.m. and after mom nursed him he fell asleep. Mom and dad convinced me lay down in bed and they turned the lights off. I eventually drifted back to sleep too, though mom and dad aren't sure when because they both crashed as soon as they laid down. I was good and slept, but Everett woke up around every half an hour to an hour after that which is unusual for him. Needless to say mom and dad are both exhausted today, so rather than help me with my blog to talk about the fun weekend with a wedding and an engagement session, here is a guest blog entry for you. I'll be back soon with pictures from this weekend, pictures from Grammie's visit, and more pictures of Everett! Thanks to Rachel for helping us with this entry sharing her tips on DIY wedding flowers.
Guest Blogger: Rachel and DIY Flowers
I was born with
a Do-It-Yourself gene: shower's leaking? no problem! Dad suddenly claims to
have plumbing knowledge, saws through the drywall to the problem pipe and
replaces it. Driveway needs refinishing? Easy! Mom just grabs a bucket of
black goo and gets to work, not worrying about the stains she'll have on her
legs and hands for weeks.
Check out Rachel's Blog at www.craftyrachel.com where you can also find instructions on DIY bouquets and DIY boutonnieres. Isn't she great?!
September 14, 2007 Last Saturday Jenn and Jason were married at the Feather Sound Country Club. They had an intimate ceremony with only their parents and siblings, then invited family and friends to join them at a reception to celebrate. Dad told me that Jenn and Jason were beautiful inside and out, and their family was great too. Dad also said the cheesecake the couple chose for their wedding cake was delicious! Because I took so long to share pictures of Jenn and Jason's wedding on my blog, dad and I wanted to do something special for them instead of my usual blog entry. Enjoy your show!
September 13, 2007 I promise to come back tomorrow with some pictures of Jenn and Jason's beautiful wedding, but to tide you over until I do here is another interview from Blog Reader participation Month.
Laura and Remy: January 13th, 2007 at the Westin Tampa Harbour Island
How did you two meet?
September 10, 2007 My grammie came today to visit me and meet my brother Everett and we are having lots of fun! I'll be blogging soon about the wonderful wedding dad photographed on Saturday, but in the meantime here is an "interview" with one of our past brides. We did the interview last month for Blog Reader Participation Month.
Lani and Chad, July 14th 2007 at the Davis Islands
Garden Club
How did you two meet?
From Lani and Chad's Engagement Session
September 8, 2007 Today my little brother is 2 weeks old. He is a really good baby and we love him so much. He isn't usually very fussy and he likes to just lay and stare at you as you hold him. Mom says he is a better sleeper than I was as a newborn. I am such a great big brother and helper. I give Everett lots of hugs and kisses, and when mom or dad asks me I even help change his diaper! Our family is incredibly blessed and we are so grateful to God for all He has given us.
Here are a few pictures that dad took of Everett in his nursery. Everett was 10 days old in these pictures.
Dad says it is never too early to start learning the family business. Here is Everett training with his "My First Camera" toy.
September 6, 2007 Thanks so much to everyone who has sent emails, gifts, food, and cards for our new baby! We are so blessed to have so many people share in our excitement and joy, and we want everyone to know how much we appreciate it!!
Mom just read an interesting article in the September 07 issue of Cookie Magazine. It compared moms one, two, three, and four or more kids. The poll results in the article showed that parents with 2 kids had a 92% marital satisfaction rate, the highest of the four groups. The poll also showed that the more kids you have, the more coffee you drink each day, and the group with 4 or more kids had the highest percentage of parents who have at least one alcoholic drink every night. Mom said the one down-side to being a 2-child family was that the survey showed 2% of mothers with one child were 20 pound heavier than they were before they had a baby, compared to 21% of moms with 2 kids (and the percentage continues to rise the more kids you have). Mom says she can't imagine that will be an issue with how much I make her run around since I am so active, but she may just have to buy a jogging stroller.
As I mentioned last month, we asked a couple people to be guest bloggers for us while we are busy with Everett. Sam is trying to plan an eco-friendly wedding and sent in an entry about that. Thanks to Sam for helping us out, and stay tuned for future entries from her as well!
Guest Blogger: Sam's "Diary of an Eco-Bride" Patrick and I are definitely not super environmentalists – we don’t bathe in rain water, or live ‘off the grid’ or drive cars that run on French Fry oil - but we do our part to try to save this planet with simple things like recycling, using reusable shopping bags (you can find them at publix - www.greenbag.info), buying organic and locally grown foods, being vegetarians, using compact fluorescent bulbs, and always shaking our fists at Hummer drivers. So, when Patrick and I got engaged on Groundhog’s Day, we knew one thing was for certain – it would be a vegetarian affair. But what about everything else? As a former florist and event planner, I’ve seen how excessive and wasteful weddings can be and I knew I didn’t want our wedding to be like that, but I figured there was more we could do to have an elegant, tasteful, and fun wedding, while at the same time, being eco-friendly, aware of the tools and products being used, and educating our guests on the green aspects of our affair.
Standard Green Bag TM
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver Available at www.amazon.com
From the LA Times Website: Plastic Debris in the Sea Killing Wildlife
- Recycled
shampoo bottles, milk cartons, water bottles, etc – all those containers
marked with a 1 or a 2 in the little triangle – don’t just get melted down
to make new shampoo bottles, milk cartons, or water bottles. No, because of
the process involved in making and melting plastics, those recycled items
simply get melted down to make new types of material, such as fleece. That
means we’re not slowing the production of new plastics, simply adding to
other plastic industries.
September 4, 2007 On Saturday dad went to photograph one of our favorite families ever! Dad first met them to photograph the adorable Cadence when she was 6 weeks old. It is hard to believe how big she has gotten! Now at 9 months old she is standing, trying to walk on her own, and even climbing the stairs! She loves having her pictures taken and dad had so much fun with her and her parents. He loves going over there and capturing Cadence as she grows. Their family is just awesome and we can't say enough good things about them. Thank you as always!
Here is Cadence flashing her gorgeous smile:
Cadence has amazing parents who love her so much! Mom loves lifestyle pictures that capture the family just being a family:
Isn't she just so cute?!
A mini Trash the Dress session with Cadence in her pool :
Reaching for the camera with hands AND feet:
We would say that we can't wait to see you again for your one year pictures, but we don't want to rush your growing up! Your birthday will be here soon and we will all be wondering how the year went by so quickly.
Sunday was another fun day for dad. He met a 1 year old little boy (only a few months away from turning two) for a session at the park. Toddlers are active and love to experience everything around them (I should know!), so sessions where they can just play and be themselves help capture their personalities much better than a studio set-up would. Dad said this little boy loved to explore and was having so much fun that he soon forgot the camera was even there.
He kept calling the buoy in the water an apple, so the obvious thing to do with an apple floating in the water is to taste it!
Splashing and having a good time:
Hiding:
I wish I could have gone to play with him and go down the tunnel slide too! With that big smile, you can tell it is really fun. I was at home helping mommy with Everett though. Maybe next time!
This is one of dad's favorites from the day. It looks so peaceful, innocent, and contemplative with him looking over his shoulder off into the distance.
From toddlers and babies to newborns! Dad did another short session to get pictures of my brother Everett at one week old.
When I saw everything set up, I decided I wanted some pictures taken of me. I sat right in front of dad and made faces until he took lots of pictures of me. Here I am sticking my tongue out:
Mom is going to make me a Big Brother photo book with pictures of me and Everett together. I decided that Everett could be in pictures with me so mom had more to use in my book.
Mom LOVES this picture of me hugging my brother:
Another favorite:
There will of course be even more pictures of Everett to come!
I know it is a new month, but I had to copy my blog entries from August that show off my baby brother Everett. I copied parts of my August 25th entry about his birth and my August 31st entry from his 4 days old pictures below. Or you can visit the whole August blog in the archives.
August 27, 2007 HE'S HERE I am so proud to tell all of you that my brother has arrived!!! He even decided to come on his own so mom didn't have to be induced, which we were all very happy about. Thank you so much to everyone who sent good thoughts and prayers our way! Mom started having contractions Friday night around 9:30pm. Because she had a doctor's appointment earlier that day and they told her that her cervix was "not doing squat" she figured it was probably false labor. By 3 in the morning she knew that this was real and by 5 am the contractions were intense! Once her contractions were around 3 minutes apart, she decided it was time to go to the hospital. She called grandma to come over in case I woke up and then she took a shower and was ready to go. That's when dad told her that he wanted to shower too. Then he had to pack more stuff in the bags that were ready, then load the car, then look up directions...mom was trying her best to wait as patiently as she could as she was dealing with the pain! Mom having a contraction while standing by the front door waiting for dad to be ready:
At about a quarter after 7am, mom and dad left for the hospital. Mom's doula Stefany (www.angeldoula.com) met them there at the same time they arrived, around 8:20 am. Stefany was great through the entire experience so if you are pregnant definitely give her a call. Mom breathing through a contraction in triage at the hospital (she says she looks like she is handling things a lot better than she felt like she was!):
After mom was checked out in triage and they said she was indeed in labor (no kidding!) she was admitted and brought to a delivery room. This was at about 10am. She was trying focusing, breathing, relaxation, and all the techniques she could to deal with the contractions because they were INTENSE. Mom with Stefany in the delivery room (Dad was there and helping too, of course!):
My brother's heart rate started to have some issues during the contractions. Because he also had some heart rate issues during the non-stress test on Friday, the doctor was concerned that the umbilical cord was being compressed or there was an issue with the placenta. He decided to break mom's water for her so he could internally monitor my brother for an hour and see how he was doing after that. The monitor showed his heart rate was still not looking good, but when the hour was over and they checked mom again, she was 8-9 centimeters. My brother seemed like he was still high though, but Stefany had mom move positions (she was great about that all through labor to help my brother's heart rate when it would get way too low and not come back up). As soon as mom did, my brother came down and the doctor said mom was ready to push. He told mom that because of his heart rate, she would have to push him out fast or they would have to use a vacuum to help him out. Mom pushed for about five minutes and there was my beautiful brother!
Mom and dad with my brother right after he was born (Stefany took the first two for mom and dad):
How ADORABLE is he???
Once they left the delivery room and got into the room they'd stay in for the rest of the time in the hospital, a nurse came into the room to give my brother his bath. Dad took pictures of course. The nurse had fun styling my brother's long hair.
Once mom, dad, and my brother were in their new room, I came to visit. Grandma, pop pop, Aunt Lora, Aunt Kellie, and I all came together to meet the newest member of our family. I got to hold my brother first. No one was quite sure how I'd react. They put him in my arms and I immediately started giving him kisses and told my brother how much I loved him. I really do. Everyone already says what a loving big brother I am.
That night was a hard night for me. Mom, dad, and my brother were all at the hospital and I missed them. It was a hard night for mom as well because she doesn't like being away from me either. Mom and dad hoped they would be able to go home on Sunday, but my brother's heart was making an odd sound so the pediatrician wanted to keep him in the hospital one more day. She said that as many as 40% of newborns have that sound so it was probably nothing, but she wanted him there for observation. Mom completely understood and was happy that the pediatrician was being cautious with my brother, but she missed me so much and was crying. She called and bugged grandma lots of times to rush her to bring me to visit. I didn't want to leave so we all decided that I would just spend the whole day at the hospital and someone would get me that night when visiting hours were over. I love my grandma and she is wonderful for staying with me and watching me, but I was really happy to be able to spend the day with my parents and my new brother.
Me and my brother:
All wrapped up snug:
He might have taken a nap, but I didn't! So much for mom and dad sleeping when the baby sleeps.
When I left that night, I was VERY sad. I cried, which made mom cry, which almost made the nurses watching us say goodbye cry too. Mom said I would see her in the morning and my brother would be coming home too. Grandma took me home and we played together. Back at the hospital, mom and dad were up for another long night with my brother.
The last picture reminded mom of one she took of dad and me on the day after I was born:
This morning the pediatrician checked out my brother and cleared him to go home. Mom and dad called grandma and told her that they would pick me up from her house so we could all bring my brother home together for the first time. We were all very excited! I thanked grandma SO MUCH for watching me and taking care of me while mom and dad were at the hospital, and then we all headed home. I got to show my brother around the house and introduce him to our dogs and cat. It has been a great day.
So without further ado, here is my formal introduction of my baby brother Everett to all of my wonderful blog readers:
August 31, 2007 Yawn, we are all so tired!!
But I wanted to share a few pictures of my brother Everett at 4 days old...
And one showing me when I was 5 days old and Everett at 4 days old, both wearing the same outfit. Everett was even later past his due date than me, but I was still bigger.
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