To the people who know and love me, I am an open book, perhaps a bit too much so. I will vent to you, I will do my best to listen without judgement and I will share, and share and share some more. I aspire to be my true self, but with the general public, my clients sometimes included, I can be a bit more reserved. That's not to say that I'm some sort of phony -- no, I am honest -- but I tend to filter my oversharing a bit more, if only to give my clients the best version of myself {and of course, there's the whole professionalism thing}.
But, these last several months, I have been amidst a struggle and I feel it necessary to put it all out there. I owe it to the clients who have become friends, the ones who have trusted me with their babies, their moments and their family memories. I owe it to you because you have trusted me and I want you to know that I trust you too.
To put it simply, my husband and I decided to expand our family and will be welcoming a baby girl {yep, we will no longer be an all-boy family} in March. We are so, so excited for this next phase of our lives to come to fruition, and the boys couldn't be more anxious to meet their sister. That being said, I am struggling with the thought of trying to do it all once she is here.
The past nine months have been no walk in the park... I spent the first five sick, bed-ridden and being compared by hospital nurses to Duchess Kate {without the palace staff of course.} I found myself getting regular IV treatments to keep hydrated, battling cellulitis in my foot {for some unknown reason} that led to IV antibiotics and taking round after round of anti-nausea meds, Tums and Mylanta (heartburn), stool softeners (yep, THAT's been a problem too), and iron supplements. I had to undergo a three-hour glucose test {a first for me}, two 24-hour urine screens due to my significantly high blood pressure and weekly blood draws and ultrasounds.
Okay, rant over. I KNOW this pales in comparison to what many people go through healthwise on a daily basis, so who am I to complain? I am growing a healthy baby and am so proud of my body for sticking it out when it clearly wants to give up. The best news is, that at 37 weeks, my baby girl is scheduled to make her debut a week early and I am confident that my body will quickly regain its composure!
Fast-forward to how this relates to the business I have spent the past four years pouring myself into. Well, because chances are, when you're pouring yourself into a newborn and two very active little boys, you aren't going to have quite as much left to pour into your business. And I want to do it all.
When I was so sick the first five months of my pregnancy, I was utterly panicked that the busy season (typically August through late November) would pass me by. But by some miraculous turn of events, I started feeling better just in time for mini sessions and a very busy fall. {Okay, I admit, I did throw up behind a tree during a family session at Maudslay, but I think I was discreet. If you were that family and I wasn't, please don't tell me!} I was able to squeeze in almost all of the clients who got in touch and I had a blast shooting at Maple Crest Farm {a big thank you to the Elwell family} in West Newbury for holiday mini sessions. {See some of my favorites from those sessions in the slideshow below.}
But, these last several months, I have been amidst a struggle and I feel it necessary to put it all out there. I owe it to the clients who have become friends, the ones who have trusted me with their babies, their moments and their family memories. I owe it to you because you have trusted me and I want you to know that I trust you too.
To put it simply, my husband and I decided to expand our family and will be welcoming a baby girl {yep, we will no longer be an all-boy family} in March. We are so, so excited for this next phase of our lives to come to fruition, and the boys couldn't be more anxious to meet their sister. That being said, I am struggling with the thought of trying to do it all once she is here.
The past nine months have been no walk in the park... I spent the first five sick, bed-ridden and being compared by hospital nurses to Duchess Kate {without the palace staff of course.} I found myself getting regular IV treatments to keep hydrated, battling cellulitis in my foot {for some unknown reason} that led to IV antibiotics and taking round after round of anti-nausea meds, Tums and Mylanta (heartburn), stool softeners (yep, THAT's been a problem too), and iron supplements. I had to undergo a three-hour glucose test {a first for me}, two 24-hour urine screens due to my significantly high blood pressure and weekly blood draws and ultrasounds.
Okay, rant over. I KNOW this pales in comparison to what many people go through healthwise on a daily basis, so who am I to complain? I am growing a healthy baby and am so proud of my body for sticking it out when it clearly wants to give up. The best news is, that at 37 weeks, my baby girl is scheduled to make her debut a week early and I am confident that my body will quickly regain its composure!
Fast-forward to how this relates to the business I have spent the past four years pouring myself into. Well, because chances are, when you're pouring yourself into a newborn and two very active little boys, you aren't going to have quite as much left to pour into your business. And I want to do it all.
When I was so sick the first five months of my pregnancy, I was utterly panicked that the busy season (typically August through late November) would pass me by. But by some miraculous turn of events, I started feeling better just in time for mini sessions and a very busy fall. {Okay, I admit, I did throw up behind a tree during a family session at Maudslay, but I think I was discreet. If you were that family and I wasn't, please don't tell me!} I was able to squeeze in almost all of the clients who got in touch and I had a blast shooting at Maple Crest Farm {a big thank you to the Elwell family} in West Newbury for holiday mini sessions. {See some of my favorites from those sessions in the slideshow below.}
This was proof to me that things just have a way of working out... During sessions when I wasn't feeling my best, clients offered to carry my chairs and blankets, they agreed to reschedule on those really bad days and they supported me despite having the opportunity to look elsewhere for their family's holiday photos. I finished 2014 better than 2013, which is something I couldn't have imagined at the beginning of the summer. {Crazy kudos to my husband as well, who not only has taken care of me and everything else the past nine months, but didn't bat an eye when I was ready to dive back into work and needed him even more -- he's quite simply the best supporter on the planet!}
Despite continued ups and downs with my pregnancy {I am now instructed by my doctors to do very little so to keep my gestational hypertension under control}, I continued to shoot a limited number of newborn sessions through the winter. It has been the perfect way to ease into maternity leave and gear up for what I am anticipating to be another busy summer and fall. Although I may show up to a session with a dollop of spit-up on my shoulder or a little bit of extra concealer under my eyes, I can assure you that I am dedicated to you and your family and I do not take my responsibility to document your most precious gifts lightly.
While I had to miss one of my favorite opportunities for continuing education, support and inspiration {Inspire Photo Retreats} this month and had to postpone a newborn workshop I registered for back before I was pregnant, I did purchase {another} new camera and lens and have no shortage of goals for the year swirling around in my head. I am extremely excited to be expanding my high school senior offerings, and look forward to continuing to work with local businesses and families to produce images that you will be proud to display in your home or place of work for years to come.
Until then, I look forward to being on the other side of the camera as I will be welcoming a photographer friend into my hospital room to document the third addition to our family. I can't WAIT to see what she captures. And in the spirit of being an open book, I will share {some of} them with you!
Thank you for all you do to support HWP! I am one lucky mom, wife and photographer!
Despite continued ups and downs with my pregnancy {I am now instructed by my doctors to do very little so to keep my gestational hypertension under control}, I continued to shoot a limited number of newborn sessions through the winter. It has been the perfect way to ease into maternity leave and gear up for what I am anticipating to be another busy summer and fall. Although I may show up to a session with a dollop of spit-up on my shoulder or a little bit of extra concealer under my eyes, I can assure you that I am dedicated to you and your family and I do not take my responsibility to document your most precious gifts lightly.
While I had to miss one of my favorite opportunities for continuing education, support and inspiration {Inspire Photo Retreats} this month and had to postpone a newborn workshop I registered for back before I was pregnant, I did purchase {another} new camera and lens and have no shortage of goals for the year swirling around in my head. I am extremely excited to be expanding my high school senior offerings, and look forward to continuing to work with local businesses and families to produce images that you will be proud to display in your home or place of work for years to come.
Until then, I look forward to being on the other side of the camera as I will be welcoming a photographer friend into my hospital room to document the third addition to our family. I can't WAIT to see what she captures. And in the spirit of being an open book, I will share {some of} them with you!
Thank you for all you do to support HWP! I am one lucky mom, wife and photographer!
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