my good friend rachel, of august tea photography volunteered a while ago to photograph sam’s birth. i was a little hesitant at first (as was john) but i am now so glad i decided to have her do it! i love the moments she captured and am so grateful to her. i am pretty sure this will be something i will forever cherish!

here is the link to the slide show if you would like to check it out (just give it a minute to load first). happy birthday sam!

just please ignore my double chin and stretched-marked belly! also, if you are pregnant and unsure of whether or not to get an epidural, this may help you decide. with an epidural, you too can look as happy as me while in labor! i was laughing during contractions and even between pushes. i didn’t get an epidural with jack and was completely astonished how much different the whole experience was this time.

when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when i am feeling sad
i simply remember my favorite things, and then i don’t feel so bad.

the sound of music was (is) one of my all time favorite movies growing up. it came on tv once a year and my brothers and sisters and i made sure we were glued in our spots. we even put on the sound of music plays for my parents. i was louisa and had to sing the part the part about flitting and floating, and the only thing worse than my gracefulness while trying to be light on my feet was my singing. it still hasn’t come around; the one thing john didn’t want jack to get from me was my singing. so far so good! however, i am now known for my dance moves. i even have a dance named after me. it’s called the shoulder dance. my family loves it! i mean i think that’s why they are always pointing at me and laughing at weddings.

anyhow, to get back on track, with 2009 coming to a close i thought it would be fun to round up a list of my favorite things of 2009. of course, john and jack (and a bunch others) would come in first, but i don’t consider them things!

1. canon 5d markii

i loved my classic 5d, but the lack of noise on the markii even at a super high iso, makes this come in at number 1.

2.  i-phone

i do wish at&t’s 3g network was better, but i love the i phone!

3. wacom pen tablet

i was super hesitant when john surprised me with this for my birthday. however, i love it and cannot edit a single picture without it now. it’s awesome!

4. hanai mori perfume

smell this perfume and you won’t wonder why it made my top 10 list. i got a small bottle for my birthday and a loved it so much that i asked for another from john for christmas.

5. alien bee 800

i finally caved this fall and decided to purchase studio lights and am so happy i did. no more struggling to find decent light inside with these dreary michigan winters!

6. chi hair straightener

this one was another gift from my husband. before this i had a cheap revlon straightener that my hair was always getting stuck in. this one heats up super fast and doesn’t smell like it is burning my hair!

7. peppermint tootsie roll pops

these are one of my favorite things about christmas. target was the only place i could find them this year, which leads me to my nest favorite thing.

8. target

i always have said that if i could only pick one place to shop for the rest of my life it would be target! i go through withdrawals from target after one week. it is also where i get archer farm’s a handful of everything trail mix. we fight over it in our house. try it, it’s awesome! do yourself a favor and get the big tub!

9. trader joe’s three buck chuck

this one probably would have came in higher if i hadn’t gotten pregnant in september. right now it is only a fond memory!

10. etsy

i love etsy. i get so many of my props from there including knit hats, tutus, newborn cocoons and wraps. i also have gotten cute shirts for jack and other stuff for my business.

11. nation ltd gym tee crew neck

if you met me more than once or twice you have probably seen me in this t-shirt. i am on my second one now. it’s my favorite!

12. keihl’s ultimate strength hand lotion

13. my crumper camera bag

i actually have two of these, one big, one small!

14. kitchenaid artisan stand mixer

i just got this one from my mother-in-law for christmas! ( awesome gift, huh! ) i love to cook and bake, so i already know we are going to have a great relationship!

15. flaming hot cheetos

is it bad that even my two year old loves these? they don’t last long in our house. i only allow myself to get them once in a while. they are very addicting and not so healthy or good for pregnancy heart burn!

i think i will end on the flaming hot cheetos note. i mean if you have flaming hot cheetos, what else do you need?!

2009 was a great year and i can’t wait to see the new things that are coming our way in 2010! see you next year!

merry christmas!

isn’t it the most perfect tree! maybe a little too perfect. there’s nothing like driving through a snow storm on slippery roads, with a christmas tree falling off of your car. this was us last year and my husband vowed that next year we were getting a fake tree, and so we did. we got the best, most-real looking fake tree we could find at lowes. i think my mother-in-law gasped when we told her. it’s just not christmas without a real tree dropping pine needles all over your house. this was always john’s attitude, until last year. then he switched over to my lazy family’s way of thinking. well, besides for my sister katie and her husband jeremy. they win the award for the most “imperfect” tree this year (if she takes a picture i will share with my blog readers! everybody say, please katie!)

so excited to have two little ones to put beneath the tree next year for pictures!

i hope everybody is having a fantastic christmas filled with family, love, and laughter!