A Milestone and a Cornerstone | My Pregnancy

I have reached a milestone with this, my last pregnancy.  I am twenty weeks with this tiny sweet baby, and I am happy to say that I finally have some of my energy back!  I haven't been terribly sick with this pregnancy, however the exhaustion has been overwhelming at times.  Caring for two young children, running a full-time business, managing first grade homework and a two-year-old's temper and desire to change clothes five times a day, plus dealing with the woes of a normal first trimester of pregnancy...  oh my.  It's been more than I can bear on some days.  And did I forget to mention that I gave up my Starbucks obsession, cold turkey, once our pregnancy test showed two pink lines?  Sweet tea, too.  Yep, "tired" was never, ever an adequate word to describe my state of mind for the first thirteen weeks! I try not to complain, because, really... it's such an honor to carry a child within your body, and there are thousands of women out there who would do anything to be in my shoes right now.  Anything.  I am blessed to be able to assist the Heavenly Father in a miracle, for the third time in my life, and I am so very grateful for this opportunity once more!

Now that my first trimester is behind us and I am nearing the end of my fifth month, I do feel more rested, energized, and my focus is actually renewed.  I'm so thankful!  I felt like I was running on about 40-50% capacity for a while there.  At this point, we are making birth plans, deciding on a name for our littlest baby, and looking at what the rest of 2011 might look like for my photography business.

photo courtesy of my son Parker, taken of me at 20 weeks 3 days

We actually did have a scare, you might call it, about two weeks ago.  (I didn't share it here, but I divulged a little bit of our story with my Facebook friends.)  I'll share the story with you today, not to complain, but because I have a feeling that I'm not alone in my thoughts about all this.  I'm still trying to make sense of it myself.  I've felt shocked, angry, confused, stressed, thankful, peaceful, frightened, relieved, suspicious, and most of all, grateful once more.  (As if expecting mothers need yet another reason to feel one hundred different emotions in a single day!)

My OB called us on Monday, April 5, with the surprising news that my alpha-feta proteins were elevated, according to my second round of the triple-screen testing.  This meant that our baby's risk of having spina bifida was higher than normal.  She said that our risk was actually 1:130.

Okay, stop right there.  When a mother hears something like this, she immediately shifts gears, mentally.  I certainly did.  I began right in with the questions: "what does this mean?  What is the normal risk ratio for spina bifida?  How high of a risk am I?  Are you sure?  Can you tell me about spina bifida?  What does it mean for our baby?  Will the baby be okay?"  I was disappointed, to say the least, to discover how very little my OB knew about spina bifida (next to nothing, in fact), and about what a normal risk ratio is for a patient like me.  When I inquired about the details of spina bifida, I was actually directed to a pamphlet that was given to me in a plastic bag of forms and coupons at one of my earlier visits.  A pamphlet.  This Doctor couldn't tell me what the "normal" risk range was... she said she really didn't know and she "wasn't smart enough" to read the tests, just the result it gave out.  She honestly only knew what my risk factor was.  And that they would have to take extra precautions at our baby's birth.... for instance, if its spinal cord was exposed, they would have to wear gloves during delivery.  (This is the point at which I almost lost it.)  She cheerfully proclaimed me "high risk" and recommended a Level 2 Ultrasound by a local perinatologist.  The peri's office was to call me in a couple of days, and schedule the sonogram for sometime in the next two weeks.

Are you kidding me? Two days seems like a lifetime to an expecting mother, who is imagining the worst at this point.  Two weeks sounds impossible to bear.  I didn't know what to even think.

The only positive things she said were, "There is still a 1:129 chance that your baby is healthy," and "It's still a very rare chance, but we have to test further anyway," and that she would not recommend an amnio at this point.  Honestly... all I heard was "Your child is at increased risk for spina bifida and we might have to deliver him or her wearing gloves so that we don't touch the exposed spinal cord."  Oh, and "I don't know what normal risk is, and I don't know how to read the tests."  Any positivity she tried to project after those words were uttered, was completely lost on me.  I numbly thanked her, hung up the phone, sobbed violently, begged God for this not to be happening, googled spina bifida, sobbed even more, and prayed the entire time, never stopping.  Over and over, out loud, I prayed for mercy for my child.  For this all to be a mistake.  For our baby to be healthy and to not have to suffer in this way.

I called Chris at work, and the message that I left him was almost illegible and broken because I was still crying.  When he called back, I still had not gained my composure, and I was even worse to try and talk to.  By this time, I had researched spina bifida on Wikipedia, and was shocked at what I saw and read.  Wheelchairs.  Leg braces.  Shortened life expectancy.  Among other things that I couldn't bear to read any longer.  I was an emotional wreck.  Chris sweetly and calmly assured me that whatever this ultrasound showed, that we would get through it together, and that hopefully, for our baby's sake, the test was simply incorrect and all would be well with our last child.  I love that man with all my heart.

oh my sweet Lila... she says she has a baby girl in her tummy too

Four agonizing days later, Chris and I walked hand-in-hand into the perinatologist's waiting room.  My always-strong husband appeared as calm and cool as ever.  Mostly for me, I suspect.  I was a bit anxious still, even despite the peace I'd come to feel in the hours and days after that phone call.  I held tears back and tried to breathe deeply as the technician scanned for any abnormalities with our baby's head shape... its cerebellum... its spinal cord... any markers or other signs of abnormality that might indicate spina bifida in our baby.  I pensively asked questions of the technician, unsure of whether or not she would actually divulge any details or if we would have to sit and wait for the physician to inform us after the scan was complete.  I confided to her that I knew what the "lemon and banana signs" were, and she so sweetly smiled at me.  She praised me for doing my homework (what other choice did I have?) and reassured me that she saw no such thing on her monitor.  [Huge sigh of relief!]  Next she scanned many different body parts, I can't even remember all of them, but the baby finally turned so that its spinal cord presented itself beautifully to our technician.  She scanned our baby's back, zoomed in so close that I could count our baby's vertebrae, she panned up and down, and made sure to get at least three different views for the doctor to see... all confirming that our sweet baby's spine is indeed closed, fused, and that there are no further markers or signs of spina bifida whatsoever!  Our little one is perfect, as far as we can tell, and we are beyond grateful!!

You can probably guess that I sobbed again at this point, and you would be correct.  Of course.

Now, generally speaking, I do believe that most physicians actually care about our health, and that most of them truly mean well.  However, I still cannot wrap my brain around the manner in which this news was presented to us, with the utter lack of knowledge or understanding of the condition that our baby was supposedly at a higher risk for.  These are never wise words to say to an expectant mother, without facts and supporting information to give her as well!

Unrelated to this four-day nightmare, Chris and I had already decided to plan for a natural delivery, in a wonderful birth center near our home.  That phone call from my OB simply confirmed my decision that I was headed in the right direction by leaving my OB's practice.  In fact, I also called my certified nurse midwife on the day I received that terrifying phone call, and she was so reassuring to me.  She actually PRAYED with me over the phone, while I just sobbed in silence.  I can't express how powerful those moments were, on the phone with my midwife, hot tears rolling down my cheeks as she prayed for my peace, and for our sweet baby's health.

Our sweet baby GIRL, that is.  That's right, we are having another little girl!  Isn't she adorable already?

Much love,

Stacey

Finally Unwrapping My Blessings

I know.  I've been gone awhile.  I could offer you many reasons, because I actually do have many.  ;)  This December, I'm certain, was my most hectic month ever.  I promise to tell you about it all in time.  Another blog post. I will say.... my whole month felt like this picture:

Our infinite blessings, "unwrapped" and given to us, yet they're cluttered and stacked, strewn all over the place... almost too many for me to even grasp and appreciate all at one time.  Kind of like my kids and their Christmas presents.  And me (ahem, the drooping tree) standing exhausted in the middle of the whole scene.  ;)  Does that make sense?  Life.  Husband.  Kids.  Work.  Photography.  A new business.  Friends.  Christmas.  Blog.  Shopping.  Decorating.  Housework.  Sleep (or my lack of.)  Just everything in general.  All amazing blessings, for certain.  But so overwhelming when they all beg to be opened at one time.

I've come to realize over the years that while I'm definitely a constant multi-tasker (in that I always have at least 5 plates juggling at once), when I really need to crank out a project, I just have to shut down most things around me in order to focus on the one most important one.  That was the case with my December.  So sorry, dear blog.  You were left out in the cold.  Kind of like that stray red stocking up there, that somehow ended up on the door handle.  LOL!

In any case, I'm so thankful for the fresh start that January promises, and that I have actually made it through the other side of 2010.  As my sister said yesterday, "I'm claiming 2011 as my year!"  And I'm doing just that, right along with her.

Thank you to the sweetest clients in the world, who made it possible for me to make a living doing something I very much love, again this past year.  It's a real blessing to be able to wake up every day and know that I'm in the right place.  I'm where I'm supposed to be.  No matter how hectic the day turns out to be, it's absolutely positively worth it.

Happy New Year, friends.  I hope your 2011 is amazing for you.  It's certainly going to be amazing for me.

xoxo

34 Things I've Learned

I'm turning 34 today.  And I cannot think of a better place to be in my life.  I've been so blessed, not with so much material things (although we have our fair share of "stuff", don't worry) but with things that money cannot buy.  For my Five on Friday today (and to make up for being so horribly slack on the past few Fridays where you've literally gotten Zero on Friday, lol) I'd like to submit my 34 Things today.  34 Things That I've Learned in 34 Years on this great green Earth.

So here goes...  Bless you if you're patient and read them all.  ;)  Bonus points if you nod your head in agreement with any of them.

1|  I did not need to look for love.  It found me.  Quite a surprise, actually, but that's how the best things happen, don't you think?  When you're not trying too hard?

2|  Never regret mistakes you've made.  All of the mistakes I've made (especially the embarrassing ones) have taught me a lesson, and my experiences in life have shaped me into the woman I am today.  I wouldn't want to be anyone else right now, even if I had the opportunity.

3|  Don't wait to tell that person you love them.  We are never guaranteed tomorrow.  Say it today, even if it takes a lot of effort on your part.  Do it anyway.

4|  Take pleasure in small things.  Really, the very smallest.  They can have the biggest impact on your attitude.

5|  Don't forget where you came from.  See, you can take the girl out of Kentucky.  And even if she chooses not to make her life there as an adult, it doesn't mean that she doesn't love the people who raised her from the bottom of her heart, or that she doesn't appreciate the lessons she learned as a girl, the values that were instilled in her, or that she doesn't close her eyes every once in a while and remember the way the cool bluegrass felt under her bare feet.  You can never, ever take the Kentucky out of the girl.  And really... why would you want to?  :)

6|  Giving someone something you made with your own hands feels wonderful.

7|  Giving someone something you bought with your own hard earned money feels wonderful too.

8|  If your children cannot get along with each other, take my mother's example.... make those kids share a room.  My two sisters and I can attest (multiple times) that this method works wonders.  The two that are arguing most will spend so much darn quality time together that they'll have no choice but to get along.  And possibly gang up on the other sister, resulting in then sharing a room with her instead.  I slept with a pillow behind my back for months after I moved from my parents' home.  That full-sized bed seemed so big after sharing it with a sister for years.  :)

9|  If you do have siblings, thank God for them every day.  (Even when you're sharing a room.)  Because one day, when you are pregnant with your first child, one of them will change her airline flight every day for two weeks to make sure she's at your side on the very day you give birth.  And on your 34th birthday, the other one will go and do something like this and make you sob like a baby.  Truly, I am the luckiest girl in the world for growing up with such sweetness in my life to this day.

10|  Enjoy what each season brings.  Snow.  Crisp leaves.  Warm sand.  Soft grass.  Someday you might move to Florida and beg for soft grass and crisp leaves, instead of crisp grass and soft leaves!  (New Florida transplants are raising their hands right about now, cringing at being barefoot on St. Augustine grass.)

11|  Be grateful for opportunities that come your way.  I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know that one choice can alter a life completely.  So glad for the choices that have altered mine.

12|  As far as birthday gifts go, there isn't anything better than a homemade card from your babies, and for your husband to take you out to dinner so that there is no prep or cleanup involved.  I need nothing more to be happy than my sweet family.  No jewelry can outshine those handmade crafts and some quality time.

13|  Songs can bring back wonderful memories.  And sad ones.  And funny ones.  (And for the record, I really miss mixed-tapes.)  :)

14|  A venti peppermint mocha can brighten the cloudiest of days (y'all knew I'd sneak a Starbucks in there, didn't ya?).

15|  Cherish friendships like they are gold.  Platinum, even.  Nurture them and be thankful for those special people in your life.  True friends are rare these days.

16|  There is always enough time for one more kiss before bed.  Or two more.  Or ten more.  Be grateful they want that affection from you, and give it freely.

17|  Lying in the sun, on a warm beach, and being able to relax so deeply that you fall asleep.... is a glorious thing.  Unless you're a mother.  If your children are with you on that beach, you know that you can't take your eyes off them for a second.  But watching your children laugh when the surf laps their toes, or watching them chase seagulls until everyone on the beach is laughing too, is a glorious thing in and of itself.  And so much more amazing than any hour of slumber on the sand.

18|  Speaking of slumber, when you bring your baby home from the hospital, heed the advice of those wise mothers who say, "Sleep while the baby sleeps."  Seriously.  Those dishes can wait.

19|  The sound of a newborn baby's first cry is quite possibly the sweetest sound in the world.  Fall in love with it.  For when they are two years old, they begin to whine on a constant basis and it's not so sweet anymore.  (Not that I know anything about that, of course.)

20|  Never forget to say, "thank you".  And, "please".  And most importantly, "I'm sorry".  Even when it's not your fault.

21|  Have at least one go-to dinner menu with all those ingredients consistently in your pantry.  Learn how to bake a homemade birthday cake, from scratch.  Find out what his absolute favorite recipes are, and perfect them.  Memorize the number for your local pizzeria just in case none of the above turns out well.  ;)

22|  There is beauty in light, and in shadow.  And you cannot have one without the other.  Learn to love them both equally.

23|  Even when you have no makeup on, your hair is a mess, and you haven't had a shower all day, your children still think you're beautiful and they love you anyway.  This isn't a trick.  It's a gift that God gives us to make up for #17 above.

24|  If someone offers to help you, by all means, let them help.

25|  If you see someone who needs your help, and you're able to, then by all means, help them.

26|  Most men (ahem, husbands, to be specific) want you to tell them exactly what you want.  Subtlety is a complete waste of your time and energy.  Be very kind about it, but tell them exactly what you need from them.  Write it down if you have to.  (Trust me on this one.  Otherwise, you'll end up with a Lane Bryant gift card for Christmas when you are a size 2.  That was a fun return.)

27|  A Daddy will never forget if someone has broken the heart of his daughter.  Mamas don't forget either.

28|  You can never have too many books.  Always too many toys, but never enough books.

29|  Chocolate should be eaten often and without apology.

30|  The best thing you can spend on your children is TIME.

31|  When your kids are sick, just take it for granted that you're going to get sick too.  Take an extra dose of vitamins and then curl up with them on the couch.  Do not hold back attention and touch from them; snuggles are the best medicine and it will make you both feel better anyhow.

32|  God will not give you more than you can bear.  Rather, no more than He can help you bear.  You're truly not alone.

33|  Love what they love.  Learn their love language and speak it to them.  Spend time doing things that they think are important, not necessarily what you think is.  Everything is significant.

34|  Try something new.  Even if it is five states away and means you'll have to sacrifice something you love.  You never know what wonders await when you leap without knowing if the net is there.

Maybe next year I'll have 35 Things to share with you.  ;)

at long last...

It's here.  Finally.  Many long hours of tweaking, deliberating, hand-selecting images, re-writing text and bios and formatting pages.  Then scrapping it all and starting again.  And for the first time in a few years, a brand new website for Stacey Woods Photography is LIVE.  I'm thrilled!  I wanted a very clean and uncluttered aesthetic, a very simple menu bar, and no distracting elements.  The images are gigantic, almost double the size of my former website, and I do love the scrolling filmstrip feature!  (The slideshow can be turned on if you don't feel like clicking through on your own.  And simply click on an image to disable the filmstrip feature ~ the images will then fade in and out instead of scrolling by.)

I have to say, BIGfolio did an amazing, amazing job for me.  I submitted my request to go live on a Friday night, thinking they would get to it on Monday morning... wrong.  They had my site live on Saturday morning.  Their customer service is fantastic!  They have been quick to respond since I first inquired about my new site, and every time I have a question, they respond right away with a very helpful answer.

I encourage you to click on over to my new website, have a look, and check out the features, pages, and lots of new images.  Some familiar favorites, too.  (I have accepted the fact that I may never be "finished" when it comes to choosing images!)  I'd love to know what you think.

PS, the maternity image above is of my sister, who visited me in May/June of this year, just before she gave birth to her baby boy.  We waded out into the Gulf of Mexico for this particular photograph.  I promise I'll share the rest of those images with you soon!

their gifts to me

I love sessions like this. They were waiting in the window for me when I pulled into their driveway.  Mom said they had been looking forward to our session all week long.  They gathered clam shells and wildflowers, bird feathers, rocks and treebark, and stuffed them into my hands before I left.  Precious gifts to me.  Brandon hugged me at least eight times before I left, and Gracie offered me one of her beloved silly bandz.  I think it might have been the elusive glow-in-the-dark variety too, so what an honor that was!  I am a lucky photographer, indeed.  :)

This is such a sweet family, and I'm blessed to enjoy my second session with them.  Ever-welcoming, warm, and delightful in every way.  I melted more than once while editing their gallery images, and I'm sure you will too once you see how darling these kids are.

This year, their session was held at their home, and I loved their energy together.  I was able to be there to document storytime, snuggling, a fun (and funny) game of UNO, romping in the backyard, kisses in abundance, and the most gorgeous sunset ~ right from adirondack chairs in their backyard, which overlooked the water.  It's a joy to witness this type of connection between family members... documenting it with my camera is even more of a blessing to me.  Yet another gift from this family.

And a couple of sweet, most-absolute-favorite images I couldn't bear to leave out...

That last one has me melting all over again.  Reminiscing about their session last year.  Thinking about a quote I recently read: 

"We do not remember days... we remember moments."  ~Cesare Pevase

Thank you so much for waiting patiently for your sneak peek, Bruce and Lisa.  I just adore your babies, as sweet as they are, and it's always a pleasure spending time with you.  I'll have your entire gallery ready for you soon, so get ready!  :)

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Small "housekeeping" note:  I will have Holiday Mini-Sessions finalized and announced by Monday!  I'm booking regular sessions well into late October and November at this time, so if you want your photo shoot to take place before Christmas (and in time for Holiday print delivery) be sure to call right away to get on my schedule.  It's a crazy one this year!  :)  Thanks much!

on being grateful

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."  ~Marcel Proust Lately I've been thinking a lot about gratefulness.  The importance of teaching my children to have a grateful heart and to be humble and kind to others.  It's so easy, in this convenient world we live in, to take our blessings for granted.  In our great country, we are blessed with so much but seem to never find the time to appreciate it, to stop and truly be thankful for it.

Enter the 365/Grateful Project.

I have begun my own gratefulness journey by using just my iPhone and some favorite photo apps, and I'm sharing them on Facebook each day.  Each month, I'll compile them and come share them here on the blog.  I would love it if you would join me and share your blessings with the world as well!

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In this moment, I'm grateful for the opportunity to raise our children near the sea.  And for a bit of one-on-one time with Daddy.

To learn more about the original 365/Grateful Project, head on over to The Creative Mama today.  You can read my full article there.  I'd love for you to join me, and so many photographers all over the world, so that we can teach our children to appreciate their blessings as well.  They watch us every day, you know.  As always, if you do decide to come along, leave your link here in the comments so we can share with each other.  I hope to meet many of you and am looking forward to spreading a little gratitude together!

Gratefully yours,

Stacey

the five on friday project

So I decided to do something a bit different around here, and have a little fun on Fridays.  I'm starting off with Five Things I'm Grateful For this week, but next week it might be five things to make or do with your kids.... five things that make me laugh... five pieces of baby gear that I'd love to recommend... five random facts about me...  five cool websites I've come across, or, if you're really lucky, five knock-knock jokes from Parker.  ;) You're welcome to join me!  I'd love to have some company, read your Five on Friday, and get to know you a little more too.  If you decide to play along, simply link us up in the comment section below!

FIVE ON FRIDAY  |  Grateful

1 |  I'm grateful for the rain we've had this week. Every. Single. Day.  The rain cools the Gulf waters down, and in terms of hurricanes, Warm Gulf of Mexico = Bad.  Cold Gulf of Mexico = Good.  Yay for rain!!

2 |  Grateful for a clean desk this morning.  Puts me in such a peaceful, productive mood.  I'm uncluttering for the next few weeks, in preparation for a busy fall photography season, and to purge some of the everyday things I've let back up over the summer.  Two bags of clothing were dropped off this morning, I have a clear desk on which to work, and I opened the door to a clean, pared-down closet with my all clothes organized by color.  Ahhh.  (No laughing, please.  Organization makes me happy beyond belief.)

3 |  I'm grateful for snuggly kids.  Parker and Lila have been sleeping in Parker's trundle bed this week (their choice) all cuddled up to each other as sweet as can be.  Well, Parker and Lila, plus 2 blankies and about 6 stuffed animals/dolls.  It's crowded in there but they love it.  My heart swells every night when I go check on them.

4 |  Grateful for this album.  The kids watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" the other night, and then chose this CD to fall asleep to.  And thank goodness.  I was getting tired of hearing the Veggie Tales over the monitor.  I could listen to Vince Guaraldi forever.

5 |  Grateful for our home.  So many people in Tampa Bay have lost their homes in the past few years, and even though my husband's industry (mortgages/finance) has suffered in a major way, we're still okay.  Our house is pretty tiny (it was our "starter home" almost 10 years ago), and we're crowded, yes.  But it's charming.  Full of memories, full of little quirks.  It's OURS.  It's where we brought our babies after they were born, where they've woken up every morning for their entire lives, our little space where we rest and work and play.  Where we can lie on a blanket in the backyard, under the palm trees and the blue sky.  And I'm grateful for it.

Yep, it's an iPhone photo today.  I think I'll finally start that 365/Grateful iPhone project I've been meaning to begin.  Can't wait to see your Five on Friday lists!!

xo,

Stacey

SNOW WHITE

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this session with Tammy, Bryan, Emilia and Auntie Beth.  Their family is precious, and I have looked forward to this session for months!  Actually, I photographed them just last fall during my holiday mini-sessions, and was so excited to have them book a full session with me this summer!  And this time I got to meet and photograph Beth as well.  So sweet to watch her with her niece, who she clearly adores.

In the above shot, Tammy and Beth's ancestors painted the watercolor above Emilia's chair.  I love incorporating precious things like that into sessions!

And from yesterday's post, by now we've gathered that Snow White didn't like to eat more than a single bite of her apple.... but she LOVED her grapes!

And she loved to read.  And call Mommy "Ariel" (she has beautiful auburn hair) as she read through her princess storybook.

After we read a little, snacked a little, and twirled a little..... we set off for the library to return a few books.

This is why I LOVE being an on-location photographer.  We're not limited to a studio with the same-old backgrounds and props... rather, we can meet at your home, play with your children's special and meaningful things, document your home and the way it looks while your children's belongings fill the rooms and line the walls (because they won't always), and then take off and enjoy a typical morning doing the things your child loves most.  And for me, it's so refreshing!!  And it keeps the kids moving, too, which is especially great for the two-and-under crowd.  ;)

And then we decided, why not just break ALL of the rules and have an ice cream sundae before lunch??

Of course, after the ice cream and strawberries, we certainly needed a bath.  ;)

I really hated to leave.  I could have stayed there all day long if I didn't have a sweet couple of kiddos waiting for me at home.  (And I treated them to ice cream next!)  I have said it before, and I feel it goes without saying, but again: I LOVE MY JOB.  :)  Thank you to the sweet families of Tampa Bay who open their homes and hearts to me and trust me with photographing their children over and over.  I SO appreciate you!!

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I'm starting to fill up for fall sessions, so if you'd like to have me photograph your family this autumn for Christmas and Holiday cards or for those special gifts, definitely give me a call soon to reserve your most convenient date.  I'm booking into October and November, and have a few September dates still open for those who need sessions right away.  Talk to you soon!

THE APPLE

Her breakfast was left unfinished.  Or maybe she had a taste of the fruit and then her attention fluttered elsewhere.  It's certainly easy for a two-year-old to do, isn't it?  But I can't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, sweet Emilia has read Snow White a few too many times, and so, for now, one bite is all she is willing to take of an apple.  ;)

THE DRESS. (AND A LITTLE PRESS.)

As some of you know I visited my family in Kentucky a couple of weeks ago (more images to come, a little later, from our time together).  While I was there, I seized the opportunity to photograph my daughter wearing a dress that was mine as a little girl, in a field in my hometown.

When I saw the field, I gasped.  It was filled with Queen Anne's Lace (can I get a nostalgic smile from the Anne of Green Gables readers/viewers out there?) and so beautiful.  It was perfect.

If you'd like to read a little more about my journey in getting this photograph, please hop on over to The Creative Mama:  my article is featured today, entitled "The Dress.  And Other Treasures." and gives you a little idea into why I ask my clients to bring those special loveys and heirloom items to your Stacey Woods Photography session.  Thank you for reading!!

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And a couple press announcements! I'm so pleased to find out that, through The Creative Mama, my photograph (and referencing article regarding hanging photographs in an artful way) was published over at Apartment Therapy recently.  Go check it out!!  And try not to get lost for hours over there... I love Apartment Therapy and their fantastic ideas for modern living.  I could easily spend hours browsing their ideas and inspirational articles for home decor and living more simply.  (Oh and yes, that is my son and I making silly faces in the photobooth strip.  That's my son in the Polaroid on the left, and my daughter in the right two Polaroids.)  :)

From that same TCM article on displaying photographs, my grandfather's circa-1960's Polaroid images (and my crafty display of them) was featured over at Creative Apples today as well, in her weekly "Crafty Connections" piece.  Go have a peek. What a fun day!!