Two weeks ago we welcomed our son into the world! It is still absolutely unreal to type those words!

We went to bed earlier than normal on Wednesday night the 27th. I remember waking up and going to the bathroom and then going back to bed around 2:30 AM. At 3 AM I woke up again thinking – wait – I already went to the bathroom – why is THIS happening! I went to the bathroom again and there was a HUGE crack of thunder and flash of lightning – and I said – Jared – I’m soaked! He said – WHAT!!! I asked him what I should do – should I call Johna?

You have to understand – on Wednesday afternoon I ran into Johna at Wal*Mart and we made lunch plans for Thursday. Johna said – that’s fine but we will prolly be at the hospital cus my guess for Fitzy’s birthday is tomorrow! So OF COURSE I had to call her at 3 AM and tell her that I thought my water broke! She said – well I guess you better call the hospital! In my moment of WHAT IS HAPPENING – I said – am I supposed to just let this leak everywhere on the way over? We haven’t put the car seat in yet! I have a bag packed – but do I have everything? What are we gonna do with the bubs? Jared’s parents are leaving in the afternoon till Sunday! I AM NOT READY FOR THIS!

I called the hospital and they said to come over! AHHH!!! I know that due dates don’t mean anything but I wasn’t due till the 5th of May! I was in shock that this was actually happening!!

We called Jared’s parents and his mom came over to stay with Schrute for the early morning hours. I called my mom, sister, and brother to let them know we were on our way to the hospital! Johna and Jared were my support system until Samm got there from NJ – just in time!

We got to the hospital after driving through rain, wind, and a crazy thunderstorm. The nurses met me at the ER door and we went up to the OB floor right into the birthing room to do paperwork and make sure that my water had broken. It had! I made my next round of phone calls to let people know that I would be having a baby within the next 18 hours! The nurse asked if I could feel the contractions – but I told her no. It wasn’t until a few hours later that I realized I WAS feeling contractions – I just didn’t expect them to be so mild – at the moment!

Johna came over and walked the halls with me until it was time to be hooked up to the monitor. At 8 AM my contractions weren’t progressing so they put me on Pitocin – which moved things right along! By 10ish I was 3 to 4 cm and when Samm got there at 12 I was reaching 7 to 8 cm. Samm and Johna switched out and before long it was time to give some practice pushes. I had Fitzy’s birth photographed by Bridget Reed – a FABULOUS photographer – and she spent the morning in the room with us! When it was time to practice pushing – I opened my eyes for one of the first times all morning – and looked around. Bridget was gone! I said – where’s Bridget? As soon as I mentioned her name – there she was – and I knew that I could practice pushing! Crazy the things you think about and don’t think about while you are in labor!

Jared and Samm were holding my legs and cheering me on – telling me to push and counting for me! Pushing was harder than I thought it would be – I couldn’t get the hang of it at all! Samm kept saying – his head is RIGHT there – you can do this! Jared was awesome – he encouraged me to no end! I pushed for about 45 minutes and then there was this miracle in front of me! Jared cut the cord and Samm took some fresh photos to text our family! As soon as Fitzy was out – I got a migraine and couldn’t see the right side of my vision – so I thought he was cute – at least the left side of him! Thankfully the aura went away pretty quickly. He didn’t cry when he came out – and I just needed to know that he was okay and then I zoned out! I really don’t remember much of anything after that until my parents got there!

Having Bridget in the room to photograph the birth was one of the BEST decisions I ever made – make sure to check out her slideshow here!

Fitzy was born on Thursday, April 28th of 2011 at 2:17 PM. He weighed 7 lbs 7.7 ounces and was 19.5 inches long! 7 is the number of completion and perfection – how AWESOME is that!! He looked so much like Jared when he first came out!

He is only a few moments old in this photo – thank you so much Bridget for this photo!

He is perfectly healthy and happy and so amazingly content! He hardly cries and eats ALL the time! He is a great sleeper and is just the cuddliest baby I have ever known!

Jared took the whole week off and just went back to work on Monday – we miss him so much during the day!

Here are a few shots of our days in the hospital!

OH MY WORD! JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!!

My dad with his first grandson!

Momma and Dadda!

My Gramma Geiger and my cousin Vanessa!

Fitzy with Dan Fitzgerald – one of his namesakes!!

Oh sweet baby!

What a sweet baby boy!!

I took some photos during our first week home together too – not nearly as many as I thought I would but I was just so busy loving this little guy!

It’s TIRED in here!!

BE STILL MY HEART!!

My friend Jenn is starting a business – Janey Joy – which is where this BEAUTIFUL hat came from!!

And of course I had to include a few of our other baby!

Isn’t he BEAUTIFUL!

We still cannot believe that Fitzy is here in our arms and is ours! Thank you so much for the prayers during our labor and over the past two weeks! We felt them SO MUCH!!!!!

I love getting together with Jenna and her family! Her little girl *S* is always so excited to see me when I get to the door!

This was my last session before going on maternity leave with Fitzy!

How cute is he!!! Those eyes are just BEAUTIFUL!

She is so sweet!

We had to get a few shots with their Easter baskets too!

I cannot wait to see you guys again in December!!

I love getting together with Dustin and Nicole! They started out as maternity clients and have become great friends! I have enjoyed watching *E* grow!

*E* and his walking shoes!!

He is SO handsome!!

My friend Jenn made this bumblebee hat!! Make sure to visit her facebook page – Janey Joy!

My cousin’s wife Megan made this beet hat for Fitzy and I just had to bring it along! For those of you who don’t know – our puppy Schrute is named after a character on The Office – Dwight Schrute! Dwight owns a beet farm on the show – so Megan made us a little beet hat for our money beet! *E* looks exceptionally cute in it!!

He was THRILLED with being a cute bunny, right Dustin?

Nicole & Dustin – THANK YOU so much for being fantastic people! I can’t wait to see you for 12 month photos!!!

Penny & Serena wanted a session together to celebrate their mother/daughter relationship! We met on a chilly morning at one of my FAVORITE spots ever!

ARE THEY NOT BEAUTIFUL!!!

Their sweet puppy – Mikey!

Penny & Serena – thank you SO much! You guys are great!

Rachel wanted a BFF session with Samantha! We’ve had this set up for a LONG time! Again – the wonderful weather this year postponed our shoot – but we got a BEAUTIFUL day in the end!

Seriously – HOW GORGEOUS ARE MY CLIENTS!!!!

Rachel has the most GORGEOUS eyes!!

GORGEOUS!!

LOVE IT!

Rachel & Samantha – thank you SO MUCH for asking me to capture your friendship! I can’t wait to see you both again!

I met Colton on FACEBOOK! We set up a session and then had to cancel and reschedule and reschedule again due to the weather! We almost didn’t make THIS session due to rain – but we beat it!

I love those shots!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the carts!!

Thank you SO MUCH Colton! I had a GREAT time at our session! Have a GREAT time in college!!

Hayley is the representative for Mansfield High School for the Class of 2012! We had a GREAT session a few weeks ago!!

I love that shot!!

LOVE those shots! Favorite of the day!!

Thanks again Hayley! Make sure to see Hayley for a REPRESENTATIVE card!!

I photographed Elizabeth & Chris at their wedding last June! They had booked with me at the ARNOT MALL BRIDAL EXPO in 2010 and received 2 gift certificates!

We had a session scheduled a few months ago and had to reschedule due to rain – surprise! This session was scheduled when the weather was calling for severe thunderstorms – so we made it a few hours earlier and missed the storm!

I LOVE that one!!

Thanks so much for making the trip to Mansfield guys! Can’t wait to see you for our next session!!

I told you about this family at the end of March –

In October of 2009 I photographed Carl & Pam’s wedding – a BEAUTIFUL wedding with an amazing couple! In October of 2010 they were blessed with a baby girl – Piper! At almost a month old – Piper was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. She is doing remarkably well and has a wonderful support system! On May 21st – Pam and Carl will be participating in a CF walk with Piper’s Posse! You can read more about Piper’s story – here!

I would love to be there for Pam & Carl and their sweet baby girl – but since I cannot – I will be donating 10% of my revenue for the month of April to Piper’s Posse!

PLEASE click on the link above and give what you can to help find a cure! I also encourage you to check out Confessions of a CF Husband. When Pam first asked me to pray for Piper and her tests – I directed her to this website – which helped me understand CF. I don’t know how I came upon his blog – but have been following their story since their little girl was born!

THANKS TO MY APRIL CLIENTS – I was able to give $161 to Piper’s Posse!!!

THE CONTEST FOR MAY –

Thank YOU for making barden photography what it is today – I am so excited about what the third year will bring!

How much time do we spend waiting? Waiting in line – waiting at red lights – waiting for food – waiting for answers. I’ve written blogs about it before – WAITING – and am sure I will write blogs about it again!

I wrote that blog on August 24th – I was pregnant and didn’t know it yet! Here is a portion from that blog –

Now we wait again. We wait for a child. I have known from the moment I can remember that I’ve wanted to be a mother. That I was meant to be a mother. 2009 was a year for change. I quit my job – started a new one – we got a puppy – and found out we were going to be parents. We waited for our first appointment and waited more when the image I knew I was supposed to see wasn’t there. We waited for our baby to miscarry – waited to start trying again. Here we are – a year and a half later – still waiting for a miracle. Praying for a baby – our baby.

On March 28th of this year – Jared’s mom was given a word in church. That our children would rise up like mighty oaks. Our children.

On April 11th of this year – Dave called us again with a word for us. We would have children. Lots of them – running around in our yard – jumping on trampolines – and they would be our biological children – they would all look like Jared.

On August 15th of this year – we met with our Pastor – because I am angry, tired, sad, and weary. He told us that God has children for us – our biological children. But first we must open our hearts to the notion of taking in a child that is not ours – biologically.

So we wait and pray.

Because we are all waiting – for something.

For a new job – a spouse – a baby – a moment alone – a day without worrying about your weight – a friend – and for Jesus to come back.

I waited a little over week after writing that to find out that we were having a baby. Looking back on it now – it seems unreal. Looking down at this big belly that doesn’t fit in my tank top as I type this – seems unreal.

And still I wait. I wait for this baby to be born. I wait to hold him and cuddle him and love him. We wait to stay up at night with this little miracle. We wait to hear him say his first word and take his first step. We wait. Forever – we wait for something!

I am waiting to feel that first contraction and wonder when we should go to the hospital. Waiting for my water to break. Waiting for that moment when I wonder if I can do this. If I can get through this. Waiting to hear his first cry and see his face for the first time. To hold him in my arms and kiss his cheeks. To look into Jared’s eyes and thank him for this amazing gift that he gave me. To introduce him to his family and friends – people that love him and have prayed for him for YEARS!

Waiting to have him fall asleep on my chest and sigh that sweet baby sigh. To take him home and introduce him to Schrute. Oh – so many things are waiting for you baby!

I am so thankful for EVERYONE that has been involved in our lives! For those of you that sent cards and gifts and prayers and words of encouragement. For those of you that came to showers and SHOWERED us with love and gifts! For those of you that love him so much already! I am so amazed at what the world of FACEBOOK has brought to our lives! So many of you I would have NEVER met if I didn’t have this blog and a FACEBOOK account!

I cannot WAIT to post the photos that Bridget Reed will be taking during his birth! I just CANNOT WAIT for this moment to happen!

I am praying and praying and PRAYING for all you out there that are waiting for a baby. I am praying that God would pour out strength and faith and hope.

Until next time – I will be right here – waiting … for this baby – for YOUR news about a baby coming to YOUR family!