I've been tagged!

I was checking some friends' blogs tonight, and realized that my friend Laura had apparently tagged me last month, but I didn't realize it. I've never been tagged before - I must confess I am kind of excited! So here's the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, I am going to give this a shot. I don't think I am really an interesting person, so I will try my best to come up with 7 not-too-boring facts...

1. I really love to dance. But, with the exception of the occasional (very rare) slow dance with my husband at a wedding that I am attending as a guest and not a photographer, I will not let anyone see me! Ever! But my one regret in life is not being a ballerina. I'm not kidding. I've decided that when I get to heaven, maybe God will allow me to have some kind of dancing ability.

2. I am not the world's most patient person. I have the tendency to rush through some tasks - it's kind of a quantity vs. quality thing. So I think photography has been good for me, because you have to be detail oriented, which I am not by nature. I am learning! But it has also taught me to be grateful for my husband, who is the opposite extreme of me - he will literally spend hours on what would take others only minutes, because he agonizes over every detail. So he helps me out and catches things that I would otherwise miss. We're a good team :)

3. When I was in kindergarten, apparently I wanted to be a garbage collector when I grew up. I think I was watching too much Sesame Street?

4. I can be a really picky eater. I was really bad when I was little - I wouldn't eat anything - especially vegetables! There are stories of me refusing to swallow the skins from my peas... and they would be all over my pillow in the morning. The only way I would eat salad is if it was just plain lettuce with a little salt on it - no dressing or anything. How wierd is that?! Fortunately I've gotten a little better now. I put dressing on my salad, at least.

5. Deep down, I am a very girly person. I love pink, getting dressed up, flowers, and pretty things. However, I do like raising a boy. I grew up with mostly sisters, so boys are a different breed! I think the dirt, skinned knees, and wrestling are kind of fun. So I kind of hope that I have another boy, because it would be fun to watch Chris play with a brother. But it would also be fun to have a girl - I would love to dress her up! (Baby girls clothes are WAY cuter than baby boys!)

6. I am not good at matching clothes - and this is especially true when it comes to shoes. I have three pairs that I typically wear- a brown pair of flip-flops, an identical black pair, and my tennis shoes. They go with everything, right? About 95% of my tops are just solid colors, because I am fairly confident with matching those - they all go with jeans or khaki shorts. You start throwing patterns in there, and I get all confused. When I grow up, I would love to learn how to buy "grown-up" clothes. And I would really love to be able to pick out some fun jewelry to go with them!

7. I am a definite morning person. The alarm goes off, and I am instantly awake. But, I am not an afternoon person. Don't try calling me around 1 in the afternoon, because I typically put Chris down for his nap and then collapse for my own! I am not a happy camper if I miss my nap! It's funny, because Chris takes after me. If I ever have to wake him up in the morning, as soon as I say his name, he just instantly opens his eyes, sits up, and starts talking all at once- it's pretty cute!



Wow - I made it! (It seriously took me like an hour to come up with 7 facts. And I know, they're pretty lame!) So now I need to tag some other people... not sure if I can come up with 7... Let's see... 1. Shalane 2. Kristin 3. Melanie 4. Amy 5. Mom 6. Mary Jo 7. Wendy. Wow! I did it!

Baby Billman ETA

I was so excited today - I had my first appointment with my fabulous midwife, Pam Peach (she also delivered Chris). I am just thrilled to be preparing for another home birth! Having Chris at home was by far one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I can't wait to do it again. I know, it sounds crazy - I mean, who in their right mind CHOOSES to go through childbirth without pain medication? Because to say that it hurts is a HUGE understatement! But, it is worth it. I loved being at home, where I was in a comfortable and familiar environment. I loved that there weren't any strange people doing things that I didn't want done. Once he was born, it was like a party! My midwife, her assistants, my sister Kristin, and of course Mark all gathered in the room and helped get me settled, passed Chris around, talked, laughed, and just enjoyed the moment. Then, when they all left, Mark, Chris, and I all went to sleep in our own bed together. Oh, can I say it again? I am just so excited!
My estimated due date is May 16, which puts me at about 6 1/2 weeks. I am going to have an ultrasound after my next appointment in 4 weeks, though, which should confirm that date.
I am even excited about each of my appointments. How many women do you know that can say that about going to their OB? But each time I go it just feels so special. I get to be surrounded by women who are almost as excited about my baby as I am, and everything just feels so natural and peaceful.
So far I am feeling fine, other than being constantly tired and hungry! But I can handle that! I am really hoping I don't get sick...
I'll be sure to post updates :) I would really appreciate your prayers for a safe and healthy pregnancy!

Going to the Zoo

On Labor Day (yes, I'm a little behind!) we had a special treat: Mark actually had a day off! We decided to celebrate this momentous occasion by visiting the Brevard Zoo with some friends. This particular zoo is really small - you can literally see everything in about an hour. And there isn't much cool to see - except the giraffes. To get to them you walk up this boardwalk, and you end up at eye level with them - you actually get to feed them! Anyway, overall Chris wasn't too impressed with the zoo - yet. But it was fun to spend a day together.

The "stroller brigade": Mark and our friend Rob with the boys

Chris was more interested in his box of raisins. Go figure.

Bray and Leslie are engaged!!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to shoot Bray and Leslie's engagement session here in Melbourne. Oh my gosh - it was so much fun! We started out on a dirt road that I'd found, from there headed over to a big empty field, and finished up at the beach. They were wonderful to work with, despite Leslie's claims that they were "nervous" and "not photogenic". Yeah, right! I was in heaven! Usually by the time it gets dark my couples are ready to stop, but these two were willing to stick it out for more... so I got to pull out my video light for some night shots. And I think those were my favorites! Let me know what you think!
And stay tuned... Bray and Leslie are getting married in March in South Carolina. I CAN'T WAIT for their wedding!

Slideshow!

I am so excited about a new program that I just got that allows me to make custom slideshows! I just created my first one... I still have a lot to learn to figure out all the tricks, but I am pretty pleased with my first attempt :) Also, I must say that I am rather proud of myself for figuring out all the ftp stuff... I am not a computer guru... but I did it! Anyways, this is from David and Erin's engagment session last May. Stay tuned - their wedding is in October!

Edit - Ok, I changed the settings, so now it won't start until you push "play". Much better :)

Fun with Chris

Last weekend I took Chris to the park down the street. He is really at the age where he loves that! He can run, climb, slide, and swing (if I push him) with the best of them, and he always seems to find a "buddy" to play with as well. Anyways, here's a few random pictures from our excursion:

And the winner is...

Ok, so there's no winner... you all guessed it.... eventually. I did have a good laugh in talking to some of you, though! Most figured out what the picture meant right away. But some of you took a bit longer :) The most common assumption was that the picture was showing something that Chris had put in the oven. Ummm, not exactly...
So, to make a long story short, yes, there is going to be another "Baby Billman"!! I am just so, so thrilled. Some of you know how it took us a lot of time and medication to get Chris, so I was really worried that it was going to be difficult again. I just didn't think I could handle going through that twice. But God answered my prayers!
I am not sure how far along I am - I am guessing 5 weeks, give or take a few days. It that is accurate, it would make my due date sometime early-mid May. So, it is still very early, and I know anything could happen. But, I am feeling good - just a bit tired. I have an appointment with my midwife in two weeks, so hopefully she'll be able to help me confirm a due date.
As far as photography goes, I am not planning on letting this slow me down! I have a couple of weddings booked for next spring, but if this pregnancy is anything like when I was pregnant with Chris, then I should be fine - when I was 8 months pregnant with Chris I was on my hands and knees installing wood floors with Mark and up on a ladder painting! The day I gave birth I weeded the lawn!
Anyways, I am just so, so excited. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Can you guess??

Free to Suceed

One of the things that has been the most influential in my business has definitely been some amazing workshops that I have attended. I always learn so much, not only from the workshops themselves but also from the other photographers that I meet there. And the other night was no exception! I had the opportunity to attend the "Free to Suceed" tour in Orlando, and I am so excited about what I learned. David Jay is one of the industry's most successful photographers, and he had so many great tips to share, on everything from workflow to marketing. One of my favorite parts of the evening, though, was when we were taking a break. We were told to meet at least one new person during the break and exchange business cards. I went outside to try to thaw out from the FREEZING ballroom that we were meeting in, and saw another photographer who was obviously feeling the same thing. Her name was Sam, and were soon joined by her husband Errol. For about 20 minutes we stood outside talking, and then after the workshop was over we went and grabbed some dinner. I absolutely loved getting to hang out with them! They were so friendly, and so encouraging. It reminded me of how one of my absolute favorite parts of this business is the people that I get to meet. I've always considered myself a shy person, but doing this has forced me to come out of my shell and pursue relationships with other people. And I really feel like it is causing me to finally become the person I was created to be.

Anyway, you can check out their website here.

Lewis Kiddos

So when I was in Jacksonville this weekend, I stayed with my sister Kristin and her brood of 8 kids. Chris was a tad overwhelmed by all of the activity! When we got there on Friday, we tried to put him down for a nap in the same room as her 1-year old twins. However, he wouldn't have any of it - he literally screamed for an hour! When I finally caved in and went to get him, the twins were sound asleep! I couldn't believe they had slept through that. Kristin was relieved, though, because she is due to have #9 in a few weeks, and they are planning on the baby sharing the room with the twins.
Fortunately he did settle down and adjust to being around so many kids, and the weekend was a lot of fun. Two of Kristin's girls have the same birthday, but 3 years apart, and it happened to fall on the weekend so we were there for the festivities. They rented a huge bounce house, which all of the kids loved. Except for Chris! He wanted nothing to do with it!
Anyway, here are some pics from the weekend...

Gabe is quite the football player!

Chris loved his new book from Grandma Sherrie, and so did baby Jane!

Of the ten kids in the picture, one is mine, 5 are my sister's (three are missing), and 4 are her brother-in-law's (they have 4 more).

Congratulations Erik and Suzanne!

Ever since I started in photography, I have hoped for the opportunity to shoot at the church that I grew up in, the church that my dad helped build, and the church where Mark and I were married. This past weekend, that dream came true! Erik and Suzanne were married in a sweet, simple ceremony at Celebration Lutheran Church up in Jacksonville, with a reception afterwards at a nearby restaurant. It was a special day for everyone there.

My stepmom Sherrie, who owns "From the Heart Flowers and Gifts", did the flowers.

I have known Pastor Kaster since he came to our church when I was about 11! He is the Pastor who married Mark and I.

He wasn't so excited about family pictures...

When we got to the restaurant I remembered that I had some of Chris's toy trucks in my car. They kept this little guy occupied!