My House Is A Zoo

Tags

Ball Pythons, Birds, Boys, Cats, Crested Geckos, Dogs, Dreams, Family, FIDS, FuzzyKids, Geckos, Leopard Geckos, Motherhood, Parrots, Pets, Snakes

Anyone that knows me is aware of my undying love for animals. I have had pretty much every kind of pet that one can have (both the common and uncommon types). When I was a little girl I was part of 4H so I had chickens, horses, goats, peacocks, as well as the typical dogs and cats. I lived in California on a 50-acre ranch. I literally lived the country song lifestyle, including the “red dirt road”. When we moved to Indiana we traded in the country life for more suburban living and left behind the chickens and goats for the more common animals and some not so common ones, like ferrets and sugar gliders.

I have had a love of all animals (minus crickets and grasshoppers…. well anything with the creepy hoppy legs freaks me out). I am, however, I lover of snakes, rodents, and other strange pets. When I moved out of my parent’s house I kind of went through my bucket list of dogs and cats that I wanted, but sadly I was not ready to be a good pet owner. I needed to learn how to truly want something and then keep it for its entire life. So when I started dating my (now) husband I made the decision that any pet that we decided to get would be with us from the day it was rescued/purchased/received until the day it was no longer on this earth. We have had one loss in all that time, Mr. Mozzie our Great Dane died at the age of 16 months from complications due to bad genetics/breeding. He was a wonderful dog and dearly missed. It was a rough loss but we continue onward. I dedicate this blog to all of our fuzzy and not so fuzzy “fids” (fuzzy, feathered, freaky- kids).

When Justin and I first started dating we lived in an apartment complex pretty close to a very busy state road. We lived on the ground floor facing the road but there was a large hill (sound barrier) between us and the road. The people that lived upstairs had this cat that they used to lock out on the balcony all the time. I mean like his cat box, food, and water bowls, everything was out on the porch. The complex we lived in didn’t have overhangs for the upstairs so he was sometimes in blistering heat and pouring down rain. He would sit on the edge and meow for hours sometimes. If we went outside he would ALMOST jump down because he wanted to be loved on so badly. One day I was reading on the couch that faced the sliding glass door and I saw this large object fall from the second floor, next thing I know the cat is standing at my slider meowing at me. I got up and ran to the door to let him in thinking he’d finally jumped down. He came in as happy as could be and started investigating the house. Next thing I know the upstairs neighbor is walking a cat box, bowls, and cat food to the dumpster. They had tossed him OFF the second story like garbage. I waited until they went back inside and then walked out to the dumpster to retrieve all of his things. My older son was two at the time and I asked him what we should name the kitty and he replied, “Ninja” and thus Ninja the Blue Point Siamese joined our family. He has always been a loving, sweet, and patient cat. He loves the kids, the other animals, and anyone that comes to visit also gets a meet and greet from Ninja as well. He sleeps in bed with someone every night and is the best cat I’ve ever had in my life.

Ninja Four Years Ago

Ninja when Liam was born- 2015

About two months after opening the door and letting Ninja into our lives, I met the next member of our family. One day, in the summer of 2012,  I saw a brown dog running along the road. At the time I didn’t really think anything of it because we also lived in the country in a way (outside of the city limits) so I figured she belonged to someone down the road. I actually saw her several times over the course of a week and my father mentioned seeing her as far away as my grandmother’s house, which was about two miles down the country road going away from the state road. I started getting concerned when I saw her out on the busy road one day when I was leaving for work. I didn’t want her to get hit by a car but every time someone attempted to approach her, she would run away. A few days later I was bringing groceries in from the car and I noticed a bunch of the neighborhood kids chasing her around the complex. They were poking and prodding at her and she was showing her teeth and snapping at the air around them. I was pretty upset because I thought, “Where are these kids parents?”  because if she bit one of those kids, she was going to pay the ultimate price… death. I ran into the house and found some leftovers in the fridge and went back outside and started rattling the box until she noticed me and I put it on the ground. She ran over with the kids chasing her and started gobbling up the food. The kids kept trying to touch her and I finally said, “You know what guys, enough. She’s going to wind up biting one of you and it will hurt.” They backed off but the kept standing there looking at her so I grabbed the bag of dog food I had in my car that I was planning to leave out for her that night and made a little trail to my apartment. A reminder, I didn’t know this dog and I had a man, child, and cat living in my home. Thankfully, Rayne was gone to his Nana’s house at the time, but Justin was sleeping on the couch WITH Ninja when I opened the door and allowed this strange dog into my house. She ran around for a few minutes sniffed Justin’s hand and saw Ninja but turned and walked away from him without a care in the world. I was very nervous about letting her stay and originally I called all the shelters in the area to let them know that I had her with the intention of giving her back to her owner when they called. When Rayne came home a day later that was the big test, which in my mind she basically failed… or so I thought. Rayne was petting her and she showed her teeth and I said, NOPE out, and I let her out the sliding door with the hopes that she’d find someone else to let her in. She went on a little sniff and potty break and then promptly sat down at the slider and barked viscously at anyone that walked by like, “This is my house back off.” I sat there with Justin thinking what the heck am I going to do? I opened the door and said, “Look, I’ll let you in but you show your teeth at my son again and you’re out for good.” Thankfully I learned later she smiles and she was smiling at him that day. With that, Lexie Lu entered the family. We aren’t really sure what she is, at first I thought she was a boxer and lab, but I have since come to think she probably has some pit bull in her along with whatever else is in there. She a sweet dog that loves the kids more than anything. She protects the house enthusiastically and never lets strangers come inside until I tell her that it is ok. She’s a wonderful family dog. Oh, and about a year ago the Humane Society here in Morgan County called to ask if I still had her or if I’d ever found her owner and I told them No, she found a home with us. They were very happy to hear that she was home.

 

Lexie Lu

It’s been four years since Ninja and Lexie came to live with us. In that time we didn’t really gain a lot of animals until recently. About a year and a half ago I decided to get another cat and I found a Bengal mix on Craigslist for free. She was super pretty and I loved her instantly. Since we had Ninja, I continued the theme and named her Samurai or Sammi for short. Unlike Ninja, she didn’t come prefixed and declawed so she remained clawed but she was spayed last year. She is a noisy cat and always lets me know that she is suffering when her food bowl is running low. She sleeps with one of the kids every night and loves to play with Ninja. She also likes to go exploring outside, for about 20 minutes and then promptly finds a window to sit in and yowl loudly until you let her back inside. She’s a lover for sure. She’s my inquisitive one that likes to see what everything is, whether it’s a bag or checking out what’s in the box she’s the first to investigate something new in the house. She’s also the brat child because when I worked for Serenity she ATE one of the finches I had in back stock… and it wasn’t like a plain zebra finch that costs like $15 it was a male Lady Gouldian finch that costs like $125. Brat cat but we love her anyway. I apparently don’t have any big girl pictures of her but she looks the same, only bigger in the photos of her as a baby.

 

I’ve always had a love of the scaled, reptilian creatures of the world. I’m not big on OWNING the venomous variety but I can appreciate their beauty from a distance. When we moved into the house Justin and I decided that we would have some reptile loves and have acquired a little crew of beasties to call our own. I love Leopard Geckos and when a friend of a friend told me that someone they knew was getting rid of all of their geckos for free I said that I would take them. I wound up with four (three females and one male) geckos that I love so much. They rewarded my loving hard work in caring for them with a single bratling last month. While I do not know yet if it is a boy or a girl, I am hoping for a girl. I love the youtube show from Geek and Sundry called “Critical Role” and in the honor of the show, all of my Leopards are named after characters on the show. The male is Grog while the spotted female is named Allura, the White female is named Pike, and the yellow female is named Keyleth. Even though I want the baby to be a girl I named her after a male character called Scanlan. They are great little creatures. I think my favorite thing is that they know my voice and come out of their house when they hear me calling them. Yeah yeah, I’m calling them for food, but they don’t come running when Justin calls them to eat. They know that I take care of them and they each have a little personality. Grog is laid back and likes to be held, Allura is a wild child and likes to come out to walk around on my lap, Pike originally was very shy and didn’t even like to come out of the house to eat unless I walked away. Now she’s the first one out to eat and even starts climbing the side of the tank when I get close. Keyleth is the quiet one, she likes to eat and come out, but she’s not big on being held. Scanlan is a little booger that bites, but A) it doesn’t hurt and B) it’s because she’s a baby and will grow out of it. They are funny little geckos and they climb all over their house during the evening hours. (Pictured- Grog by himself, Pike and Keyleth are next – Pike is facing the camera, and then Scanlan the baby and Allura has the spots).

The Leopards are not the only geckos that we have. We recently in the past year have found the joy of Crested Geckos and have one boy and one girl. A local pet store originally had the male with a different female priced with a breeder cage at $350.00 but no one would buy the set and in the end, the female was sold alone leaving the male and the cage. They know that we love Cresteds because we already had the female we have so they offered the male AND the specialty tank to us for $50.00. Yeah, that was a deal we couldn’t pass up. The Crested by himself was over that price let alone the cage, which has over $200 worth of stuff inside it. So we now have Joker to go with Harley Quinn that we already had from before. We do plan on getting two more a red named Deadpool and don’t know color named Vanessa (yeah yeah I know I’m crossing bad boundaries for some people having D.C and Marvel names but HEY I love them).  (Harley is the first three pictures and the Joker is the second three) Note: Crested’s lose their tails very easily and unfortunately they do not grow back. Both Harley and Joker lost their tails before we got them. We are hoping when we decide to get the other two they will have and keep their tails.

Geckos are not the only scaled creatures we have at our house. We also have a single Ball Python named Mazikeen or Maze for short named after the character in the T.V. show Lucifer (Yes another comic lol). When we found her she was, according to the store associate, “Evil”. She tried to bite and would strike out at people if they got too close to her. They gave her to Justin for $20.00 because he wasn’t afraid to reach in and get her. I don’t know what her problem was at the store because she’s like a puppy dog with us. She eats frozen thawed so she really doesn’t have the predator drive to “hunt” things. She gets perfectly warm already dead mice to enjoy. What I love about her is, she is NOT a normal ball python. We lucked out that she was a brat at the store because she’s not a $20 snake. Maze is a Champagne Ball, which is a very pretty morph in Ball Pythons. One of the things I like about having reptiles is that they aren’t expensive to own. Yes, getting some of the things they need and be expensive but we already had a bunch of that stuff. Reptile food (if you know where to get it) comes pretty much in bulk. We buy a bunch of frozen mice at a time (the bag we buy lasts up to 5 months), a single bag of Pangea Gecko mix (probably once every three months), and $10.00 worth of worms for the leos every two weeks. They are not hard to keep at all and the entire family enjoys them very much. The picture I have a Maze is the first day we brought her home and it’s not a good picture. She needed to shed really bad because she had a stuck shed and she was really dry. She looks much better now.

Lastly, we have the feathered fids. We have a plan to have four total birds at some point but right now we have two. Crowley Scout is our Green Cheek Conure. I got him from a friend because she said he was mean and he would bite her. My parents raise Umbrella Cockatoos so the pint-size beak on a Conure scares me just about as much as sitting here in a chair. So I offered to take him home and work with him. I quickly learned several things; A) He is a lover not a fighter, B) He’s cage shy, and C) He was bored out of his mind. He did bite a lot when he thought it would do anything. He has learned that it doesn’t work with me and I will continue to ask him to step up even if he’s biting me. He is learning that hiding in the back of his cage and trying to flatten out so I can’t get him to step up won’t work either because I just pick him up by the body period. He had bad manners because he was allowed to act a certain way, now that he’s learning that he can’t act that way he’s not doing them as often. He also got some upgrades in his living quarters which really helped as well. I was taught that birds need a lot of different perches (different heights, widths, and textures) to promote healthy feet. It’s like standing in the same spot every day in the same shoes if you don’t give them a variety. Their feet get sore and weak. He now has several different perches of varying sizes and shapes as well as texture. I have noticed a change in his noises that he makes and his attitude since the upgrades. Next, we have Ash, the White Faced Cockatiel. He is still a baby being handfed at the bird place we picked him out from but he will be ready at the end of June. I have had a Cockatiel in my life all my life and recently we went to the Zoo and they have Cockatiels there that you can feed and it rekindled my want for one. I actually put my deposit down on Ash before I said that I would take Crowley, but that’s ok I don’t mind having a few of them. The plan is to have a Sun Conure named Castiel and Justin wants a Blue and Gold Macaw (no clue on the name), at some point in the future. And yes, they are all named after Supernatural characters.

We don’t have them yet, and we won’t for a while so these are just some generic pictures of a Sun Conure and a Blue and Gold Macaw for those that don’t know what they look like.

I would like to end my blog with a budget of cost on animal care. Once you get through the initial cost of purchasing your animal of choice and their accouterments and accessories they really aren’t that expensive. Thankfully for me over the years I have acquired an array of things like tanks, light hoods, heating pads, water bowls, etc so a lot of the things I need, I already have. I also have a knack for finding a good deal on the creature(s) I am looking for.

Our Current Monthly Cost in animals
Dog: Food $40 a month
Cats: Food $20 a month/ cat litter $25 a month
Crested Geckos: Food $8 a month for the liquid and $5.99 a month in meal worms or crickets (total rounded to $15)
Leopard Geckos: $23.96 (rounded to $25) a month for worms
Birds: Food $10 a month and we make their toys so the supplies to make them runs about $20 every couple months
Snake: $20 every few months in Frozen Mice (we buy a $20 bag of them and it lasts a long time depending on how many or how few she eats at each feeding)

Total Cost: If we had to buy everything at once every month: $185
Typical Cost since we don’t buy everything every month: Est. $120-$140 depending the the revolving thing

Beauty is we DON’T have to buy all of those things every month. It’s kind of a revolving change of what we need and it’s nice to have animals in the house. I think it makes for more well-rounded children and I like my house to be lively with different and interesting things.

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The Forecast Calls for PICTURES

Tags

Birthday Photography, Business, Canon, Dreams, FeyWild, FeyWild Photography, FeyWild Photos, Networking, Photography, Portfolio, Senior Photography, Spring time, Summer Time

I’m going to start off with an apology for being absent for a while. I have been dealing with sickness and children vacations. Now that everything is back to normal it’s time to get into the joys of the season. It is SPRING time!! It’s time for pictures. I am definitely looking forward to booking some Senior shoots and getting some great photos. I recently set up some networking with the local High School in my area and I am hoping to give my business card to some other High Schools not far from here. I love doing senior photography, aside from birth sessions they are probably the best.

I’m excited to get to use my zoo pass to get into the gardens and take pictures and I plan on going out sometime in the next two weeks and really scouting out some great areas for pictures. I hope to have several really good areas to help people find what they are looking for when they come for sessions.

I recently had the pleasure of taking birthday pictures of a little girl (family friend) at the zoo and they turned out very lovely. The colors and the vibrancy for the day just made it the perfect session. Lyric, the little girl, had quite the afternoon and had a great smile. She definitely had a great time being the center of attention for the day.

I hope that after my disappearing act you will return and join me on this journey through the summer as I, hopefully, get more and more sessions under my belt and continue to build my portfolio. I know this was a short blog but I am heading out the door. I hope everyone is enjoying this warm weather and the beautiful Spring Time flowers.

I wanted to share just a few more cute pictures from the session. Her birthday theme is Little Mermaid so we did a couple Prince Eric and Ariel pictures as well with my son Raynier.

The Walking Dead: Learning How to be a Full-Time Mom and Photographer

Tags

Birth Photography, Boys, Brand, Business, Doula, Doula/Photographer Team, Dreams, Family, FeyWild Photos, Homeschooling, House Cleaning, Karate, Karate Kid, Motherhood, Organization, Perfect Wedding Guide, Photography, Teamwork

The last time I carried a “Daily Agenda” around everywhere I went, I was in High School. I have not been this busy in years and I am absolutely loving it. I have so many meetings and things that are in the works that it can get a little overwhelming- thank god for my cell phone and agenda. I am learning just how well I can stay focused and organized. Rayne, my oldest, has Karate three days a week and will be starting a fourth private Karate lesson in the Spring. He is also Homeschooled which means throughout the day we have a lot of work to do with his online school. Liam, the baby, is learning how to talk more and more and he’s a lot of fun to try to have a conversation with. Looking at my day-to-day activities I am sometimes surprised that I can get everything done in a day. The photography business is taking off. In my previous blog, I brought you into the birthing suite and showed everyone what I do when I am part of your birth environment. I plan on continuing that passion with more birth sessions this month and in the coming months. I am also looking into Wedding photography through vending with “Perfect Wedding Guide” in Indiana and on a wedsite called Wedding.com. I am a walking “mombie” but I’m making it work and I enjoy pushing myself to be a better person, wife, and mother.

I truly didn’t know how much I could cram into a day until I started Homeschooling Rayne while starting FeyWild. I have since learned that I can run on very little sleep and function well with the help of coffee. I really enjoy flipping through the pages of my agenda and seeing all the things that I have to do in a day and/or week. Through my business, I have gained a valuable networking path and joined a planning committee that puts me in touch all the professionals in the area that working in the birthing/baby community. I also have several meetings with business lawyers to help me with the more legal aspect of my work so I have been meeting with them once a week for a while. Rayne has between four and five classes a day throughout the week and through all of the business work, I still help him get his school work done. I am so glad to have my husband around to help with that as well. He really enjoys helping Rayne do his work and doing the Art and P.E. classes

On top of the business meetings and working with potential clients or network groups, Rayne is homeschooled and in Karate. He is a straight A student and is way ahead of where he was in public school. He had a test recently that was supposed to take at minimum 30 minutes according to the instructions. There were 30 questions on the test and not only did Rayne finish it in less than 15 minutes, he also got 30/30 correct. When we were all sick he fell pretty far behind in classes and it was a lot of work to catch up. He is now finished catching up and is completely on track in all his classes. When Rayne is not doing school work or spending time with the family, he is an avid Karate student. He currently has three classes a week and in the Spring he will be adding a fourth class for Private Lessons with one of the owners. He is very excited to be moving up through his belt colors. I am so proud of Rayne. I love going and watching him practice his Katas. His father and I are beyond proud of his accomplishments in both school and Karate. I also love how wonderfully sweet Rayne is to everyone that meets him. He’s a very loving and friendly child that everyone enjoys spending time with. I couldn’t be more excited to see what the future has in store for my sweet Rayney. He is very hopeful to get straight A’s on his final report card and get to his birthday because I told him he would be getting a Hedgehog for his birthday. The reason is because Rayne likes to have spiky hair and when it is long it is very curly so his little nickname is “Hedgehog”.  It will be cute to see his face when he gets to pick out his Hedgehog.

Liam, our baby, turned two in January and in the past few weeks he has really come alive as his own person. He’s really trying to communicate his wants and needs more. We are really working on his impulses, he likes to hit when he’s excited. He has a hard time sharing mommy with his brother. However, he and his brother on the floor are fabulous friends and loving brothers. My little blue eyed baby is ready for the warmer weather to go outside and play. His brother and mommy are ready as well. One of the cutest things that Liam does is when Rayne is doing his Katas at home, Liam does them with him. It’s adorable to hear them doing their Kiais together. When Liam turns 3 he will be able to join the Dojo as a Mini Dragon (his brother is a Dragon Flame- two levels higher than Mini’s). It will be adorable to see him already know Kata I when he starts. I am very proud of my littlest boy for learning to talk and being who he is. Next step is to start potty training… phew oh boy I remember that with his brother. We will see how that goes.

I am pleased to say I was able to get, at least a start-up website going. I am very excited to see the results when people start filtering onto it over time. Please check it out and I would love to hear feedback on it from all of you. Thank you in advance.

https://feywildphotography.wixsite.com/website

I have been on the phone nonstop with so many different opportunities. People that work in “Perfect Wedding Guide” a vendor show here in the area for couples looking for everything they need for their wedding. I am looking into Wedding.com to get in contact with brides in the area as well. I am hoping to sign up for International Association of Professional Birth Photographers to network with mothers looking for a birth photographer. I have been working with two business lawyers to have the best contracts and Model Release forms. It is awesome to be this busy all the time.

My phone was buzzing today with another call from the Doctor that I am working with in the area for birth photography and she was letting me know that I have at least one more mother that is interested in Birth photography this month. I am looking forward to hearing from her soon (especially since she is due on Sunday the 19th). I also have an incredible opportunity with a Doula. Together we have teamed up to give three moms in the area an AMAZING birthing experience. If you want more information on that please contact me on my website or facebook page. Trust me, this is something that you don’t want to miss out on.

This is the busiest I’ve been in my life since I first graduated High School and I was working three jobs and a full-time college student. I LOVE being busy and working like this. I cannot wait to continue forward with this work. My children, my husband, and my business are the most important things in my life right now. I appreciate all of you following me through this journey.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feywildphotos
Twitter: @FeyWildPhotos
https://feywildphotography.wixsite.com/website

Unforgettable

Tags

Baby Bump, Birth, Birth Photography, Business, Canon, Dreams, Motherhood, Networking, Photography, Portfolio

Yesterday is going to be one of those days that I never forget for as long as I live. It was just an amazingly fun day. It started out with my usual morning coffee and discussing the day with my husband. My friend had purchased amazing tickets to see “The Little Mermaid” Live at the Murat Theater downtown. I spent the morning getting ready and, of course making sure all of my camera gear was ready. My first client’s due date had been the day before on Friday, February 10th and I didn’t want to be caught out and about without my gear. I charged the batteries on the camera, checked my lenses, and made sure I had an extra memory card. I was still worried that I only had one battery and, knowing the unpredictable length of a labor, I was hoping to have a second before I was heading into my first session.

The show was amazing. Absolutely adorable. The costumes were beautiful and the singers/actors were incredible. I’m really glad that I got to go with her to see the show. Afterward, we decided to go out to dinner so we left the car parked at the Murat and took an Uber across the city. Shockingly we got a table at the restaurant, sit down, order our food, and my phone goes off…. “She’s in early labor!!!” flashes across my phone screen from the doctor and I pretty much felt my heart hit the floor. I look up with a gasp at my friend and say “I have to go! Right now.” She starts laughing and I’m sitting there staring at my phone trying to calculate how long it will take me to get to the hospital (this includes calling another Uber to pick us up to go back to the car). Finally, my brain kicks back in gear and I call the doctor to ask if I need to leave right then and there. She laughed and said I had time because my client was still going through the check-in process. I hung up the phone and told my friend that we could enjoy dinner and we spent the next twenty minutes talking about life and how exciting that night was going to be.

I’ll be honest, I spent most of the time trying to calm my racing pulse and nerves. I kept thinking, “What if I mess up?” or “What if she changed her mind and she asks me to leave?” or even worse, “What is she hates the pictures all together?” I kept looking at my phone to check the time and I think I may have inhaled dinner so that I was ready to go quickly. We made our way back out onto the busy sidewalk and called for another Uber to return us to her car. I was so nervous in the car that I had to turn on meditation music to relax. It wasn’t that I was scared of what was going to happen. I have given birth to two children so I know what goes on in birthing environment (mostly). I was nervous that my pictures wouldn’t be good, my lens would malfunction in the darkened room, or that I would get in the way of someone with a much more important job. I knew as soon as I walked in the door to the hospital the nerves would evaporate and I’d go into work mode, I just had to get there first.

I am so glad I had my camera gear with me because I might literally have exploded with nerves had I left it at home. I arrived at the hospital at 8:15 p.m. Thankfully, the nursing staff was aware that I was on my way so they let me into my clients’ room right away. She had told me at our meeting that she was wanting to go through labor naturally and she was not happy with her choice at that moment. She was calm and quiet, but definitely ready to not deal with labor pains anymore. I snapped a few pictures of her and met her nurse and Damon, her birth partner. The nurse informed her that the anesthesiologist had arrived but it would be a little bit because he had to change into his scrubs. The nurse asked her to start getting in the position they request for moms to be in for an epidural and mom asked dad and me to leave. I knew she was in a lot of pain but that original fear started creeping back in that she was going to ask me to leave. I wouldn’t have blamed her because of how she felt. So Damon and I journeyed out of the room to wait for her epidural to go in.

At first, we were going to go sit in the waiting room but I remembered a spot where my family had sat when I had a baby so we went down to the end of the hall and sat facing the large floor to ceiling windows and watched the rain fall outside. It was at that time I had the pleasure of getting to know Damon. The sweet nervousness of a new daddy telling me how he and mommy met and what he did for a living (can you guess?). It was very touching to discuss how he felt about becoming a dad and how they came up with the name for their baby girl. They are my kind of people, the ones that try to come up with unique and interesting names. We waited what seemed like probably 20 minutes and figured she was probably done and ready for us to come back so we ventured back down to her door only to find that it was still shut. We stood outside talking about how bad he wanted to go home and shower so he could change and it made me laugh because he was too nervous to leave. As we waited, in walked Joanna’s sister and Damon’s mother. It was smiles all around as we introduced each other and caught up on what was going on. The nurse ushered us down to the waiting room and so we waited. The family was very excited to have a new baby coming and couldn’t wait to meet her. I instantly took a liking to Damon’s mother who told me that Joanna had needed a little convincing to have birth photography done. I appreciated that she saw the value in what I was offering and had explained it in a way that had her jumping on the bandwagon.

Finally, after almost an hour people were getting antsy and nervous because it was taking so long for the epidural. Damon decided that he was going to go check on her and then head home to shower. His parting words out the door were, “Although, my luck will be I’ll get to the stop light and get a text saying it was all over and I missed it.” with a grin he departed. We sat together in comfortable silence for another 5 to 10 minutes and the doctor stuck her head in to say hello. I immediately gathered my things and followed her down the hall. She smiled and said, “You know she’s ready, right?” I started laughing saying, “No. Are you serious?” In we went to room 301 and she was indeed ready to push and thankfully Daddy was there still dressed in uniform a stark contrast to the feminine area we were all working in. Grabbing a nurse I asked if I had enough time to run back down the hall and tell the family that the baby was on her way and she smiled with a yes. Off I went, poking my head in and saying, “Wanted to let you know… the baby is on her way.” The shocked expressions I will never forget as I said, “See you on the flip side, gotta go.” and dashed back to the delivery room.

Joanna was a rockstar once she got into the swing of pushing. You think you’d know what to do, but I swear every time the doctor or nurse has to go over it at least two times. She was so sweet in between pushes we could get her to laugh every now and then, but the best part was the things that she said. She was too worried it would scar dad for life if he looked because it was gross. She told us she thought her breath was horrible and that the second the baby was born she wanted to brush her teeth, and my all time favorite was when she said she was hungry. We offered to tell the family out in the waiting room to go get her something so it would be there by the time she was done and then she said, “No, I’m not hungry I don’t know what I want never mind.” Everyone laughed, even her.

It took 40 minutes from the start of pushing to finish. Joanna and Damon, along with the Doctor and nurses were an amazing team. I was humbled and honored to be allowed into their sacred space to document her journey into motherhood. She was incredibly powerful and what I like to call, a warrior woman. Having a baby naturally is a lot of hard work and she really did take on the task at hand like a true pro. It was cute when she said in between contractions that she would never have more children, only adoption. However, I am sure that will not be the case for this momma. One look at her new baby and she pretty much forgot about all the pain and work she’d just done and only wanted to hold her baby. Daddy got to cut the cord, which he was very excited about. A fond memory he will have some day that he can share with his daughter when she is older.

I have to admit, I held it together right up until the above picture. When mommy had her baby skin-to-skin and was able to just take a moment to bask in newborn heaven I got a little teary-eyed. As the Doctor and Nurses went about cleaning up and checking baby vitals, daddy asked the sweetest question about doing skin-to-skin too. It was such a precious and intimate moment they shared.

That picture right there is why I wanted to become a birth photographer. On the night Willow was born there was no one but Nurses, the Doctor, and the two of them. I was the fly on the wall and I wanted to capture these special moments for new parents. Willow is less than five minutes old in this picture. It was a beautiful moment to witness.

My favorite picture of the night was proceeded by baby Willow doing the newborn nuzzle in her hunt for some yummy in her tummy. She wound up finding her thumb and going to town on it in a way I’ve never seen in a newborn. She was ready to eat. This moment below is when she not only found what she was looking for, for her mouth but she also discovered the face that went with the voice she knew so well. It was the sweetest most special moment of the night, as mommy looked down and Willow looked up and it was almost like she was saying “Oh, hi there. I know you.”

After a moment of relaxation and almost like a refreshing breather it was time to weigh and measure Ms. Willow and she was no happy to be taken away from her warm nest with mommy. She did, however, seem to enjoy being able to stretch out her little legs. She had such cute long feet and a pretty little rosebud mouth. Her skin was so pink and her cheeks were just perfect. Mommy commented that she had the cutest little booty which made me laugh because she totally did.

After all the hustle and bustle and of course, the rude removal of mommy it was time for daddy to hold not only his daughter for the first time, but hold a baby in general for the first time according to mommy. She was wrapped up tight in a swaddle and handed off to daddy by a happy Doctor who showed him what to do and then turned him to face mommy so she could see the whole moment. Daddy was a quick learner and before he knew it, he was even doing the baby bounce dance so she wouldn’t cry. They were natural parents, I could tell. And of course, we got the first family photo of them all together.

At last, and with much anticipation, it was time to meet the rest of the family that was waiting as patiently as they possibly could outside the door. Joanna’s two sisters and Damon’s mom walked into the room and the happy looks on their faces were absolutely priceless. Everyone took turns holding baby Willow and talking about how they could hear everything but then it had gone quiet for a bit and finally, they had heard the baby cry. There was much passing around and cooing towards Willow and it was a joy to stand in that moment and photograph everyone holding her for the first time.

In my final moments of being there, I was able to capture a very happy mommy content to hold her precious bundle of joy who wound up certainly being in a hurry to meet everyone. Baby Willow was born on February 11, 2017, at 10:17 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs 2.3 oz and was 21 inches long. She had a full head of luscious dark hair and perfect pouty lips. She is a perfect way to end a perfect day.

Congratulations to Joanna and Damon on the birth of a perfect little Willow! Thank you for letting me be there with you. You both are very sweet and wonderful people. I think you are going to be awesome parents and Willow is lucky to have you.

You can contact me for your own special day via
Website: http://www.feywildphotography.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feywildphotos
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/feywildphotos

Why Should You Hire a Birth Photographer Named Destiny

Tags

Baby Bump, Birth, Birth Photography, Business, Canon, Dreams, Family, Midwifery, Motherhood, Photography, Portfolio

If the idea of someone being in the room taking pictures while you give birth makes you cringe, this is the blog for you. My name is Destiny, a budding private photographer (8+ years photography experience) with a passion for birth photography and I’d like to tell you why you absolutely should at least consider hiring someone to document the birth of your child.

When I was pregnant with my first child I had never even heard of birth photography but one thing I did have was my mother who is a photographer and she was there to take pictures of my journey into motherhood. However, the pictures that were taken came from family members that were, in all fairness and reality, distracted by the impending birth of a new family member and first grandchild. While I appreciate the rawness of those images when I look at what a birth photographer offers I wish I had known about that kind of photography. On top of winding up having to have an emergency c-section that first experience into mommyhood was rocky, to say the least.

Move ahead to five years later and the impending birth of my second born. I knew a little about birth photography but I had no idea how to go about getting one and/or hiring one. I also had planned to have a VBAC but as my due date loomed and no sign of labor I was scheduled for a c-section. That ended all ideas I had about “birth photography”. Thankfully, I wound up going into labor while in the Surgery waiting area and I did get to have my VBAC. My mother again came to the rescue taking fabulous pictures while I labored, but again the pictures were of a certain few hours about mid-day into labor. At 3:30 a.m. on January 28, 2015, they said it was time to push. Where was my mom or my best friend who had been taking pictures? I had fallen asleep for about 3 hours and they had stepped out into the waiting room to chat with all the other family that was there waiting for the baby to arrive. My husband was distracted, obviously because my left leg was completely numb from my epidural wearing off – all the meds had drained into that leg- and he had to hold it up for me every time I pushed. It doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal not to have those moments, but after having to have a C-section the first time getting to have a successful VBAC was a big deal for me. The pictures I do have I cherish profusely, the ones I don’t have I wish for whole-heartedly.

So, why should you hire a Photographer name Destiny to photograph your birth? I will give eight excellent reasons. There are many others but I feel like these are the most important and natural reasons why.

1) Memories:

First of all, I can’t think of anything better than reflecting back on the photos of when I brought my two boys into the world. While I am missing a lot of moments I know that what I have I will cherish when I’m old and grey. The long labors, the hard work, our first time locking eyes on each other, the way my husband looked at me when his whole world was just turned upside down in the most beautiful of ways, and the sweet moments when our family met the baby for the first time. What fun to have a picture of the parking lot and see what cars were in style when your baby was born, what the weather was like that day, what the face of the hospital looked like that year. My heart literally sinks deep into the depths of love and happiness just remember all of those moments. Sure, I have them imprinted deep in my heart, but a photo is a tangible way to take us right back to special moments that we may not fully recall. Photographs like these aren’t always to be shared with the public eye but tucked aways for our own precious memories is just as special. I offer the option to have all of the moments beautiful captured so you get to remember and have tangible memories forever.

2) Captured Moments and Details You May Not Remember or May Miss:

There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that as a birth photographer I can capture. There may be times that I am required to leave the room such as when you get an epidural or if you are getting some well-deserved sleep in between contractions. I can journey to the waiting room to photograph friends and family eagerly waiting to hear the news of a new arrival or grab snapshots of your room number and nurses station. I’m the fly on the wall photographing tender and lovingly intimate moments between you and your spouse while they support you through your labor. I will capture all the moments big and small so that you can relive them all over again.

3) You Can Be Present:

Labor is just plain hard work. They definitely do not call it LABOR for no reason. The whole process of pushing a baby out of your body just plain takes it out of you. It is hard enough to focus on your breathing and count to 10 and all that, never mind having to worry about who is holding the camera and what photos they are getting. Take the pressure off yourself and let me take care of capturing those moments for you so you can focus on the task at hand.

4) Your Spouse and Family Can Focus on YOU:

If this is your first baby, for example. Your husband is just plain overwhelmed. He can’t decide if he can actually help you through labor or if he is is just in the way, and it is also a whole lot of emotions that he probably has never felt before all at once. This is a new experience for him as well and he wants to support you and hold your hand. He is proud beyond words of the power and strength you are exuding to bring a baby into the world. He is in awe of his wife or girlfriend or fiance. When I asked my husband how he would have felt if someone had thrust a camera in his hand and asked him to take pictures instead of being with me he said he would have hated it because he would have felt less involved. He loved getting to see the baby come out, cutting the cord, and all that. So, if you have a photographer there that is only there to capture your birthing day not only does he get to witness your awesome mommy powers but he will have photographs that take him back to those special moments as well.

Your family is busy being excited about the impending arrival of a new baby. There really is nothing like holding new life in your arms. Sure they will be snapping away but there will be moments that they want to be a part of instead of just bare witness to. You get the best of both worlds if you have your photographer there.

5) Quality Photographs:

In the age of the iPhone, there is no doubt that someone will be taking pictures at some point that is a part of your birth group. However, cell phone pictures cannot compare to the quality of a professional photographer can do. I have spent many hours studying and learning about my camera and the settings it has. Hospital lighting is not that great. If you are planning on having a home birth lighting can be even worse in a house because most births have low lighting that can be difficult to compete with but through research, your photographer (me) has learned the correct lenses and setting on their camera to retain the quality of the image even in those low light settings.

6) Professional:

Not only can I provide excellent quality photos, I also know how to remain professional in the birthing environment. An experienced birth photographer will know the flow of birth and how to position themselves so they are not in the way but still able to capture the moments you hired them for. I have a personal relationship with my OBGYN because she also delivered one of my kids and is the Family Doctor of my whole family. I have known her since I was thirteen years old and I feel like it gives me a unique ability to know when to get out of the way and move to a different spot in the room and/or when to just plain get out so she can do whatever it is that she needs to do. I have not had the chance at this point to be a part of a birth center birth or home birth but I am very much looking forward to working with a Midwifery in the area to provide this option for moms that are looking for a more intimate setting than a hospital.

7) I Know What It Is Like NOT To Have The Pictures:

I feel I am uniquely qualified to do birth photography because I know what it feels like later NOT to have the pictures that take you back to special moments in your birth. It really does bother me not to have them and I want to make sure that any mother that is thinking about hiring me or any other birth photographer really does THINK about it and then hopefully decide to go through with it because it truly is an amazing gift/special set of photos to have later when the intenseness of the birth has wound down or when you pull them out years from now to look at them for fun. You have the most amazing story through photos that you can show that baby when he or she is old enough exactly what the day was like when they came into the world.

8) An Amazing Postpartum Gift:

Days and weeks after the baby is born; the family has gone home, you are sleep deprived and the baby is finally sleeping for the first time in forever; when the reality of having a newborn catch up to you and things “just got real”. You can sit down, scroll through these pictures, and smile as the feelings rush back and you are transported back to the moment they laid your baby in your arms, your spouse cut the cord, your parents met their grand baby… all of it will be there for you, forever.

 

You can contact me for you own special day via:
Website: http://www.feywildphotography.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feywildphotos
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/feywildphotots

FeyWild Photography

Tags

Birth Photography, Brand, Bridal Show, Business, Canon, Dreams, Engagement Photography, Midwifery, Networking, Perfect Wedding Guide, Photography, Portfolio, Wedding Photography

In my previous blog, I wrote that towards the end of last year I woke up one morning with the realization that I was about to turn 30 and career wise, I had nothing to show for myself. So I made a decision to do something daring and kind of scary. I decided to get into an industry that is cut throat and hard. However, the benefits, the magic, the absolute joy that comes from doing what I want to do. There is nothing like that. I felt like I could offer something unique to the area that I live in. I started a Photography business.

It started with just a whiff of an idea. It was in September 2016  and a friend of mine called to ask me if I would take pictures of her Wedding Day. I loved the thought of capturing her special day for her and was happy to offer my services. I phoned my mother and asked if I could borrow her Canon EOS Rebel T3. She was hesitant but agreed, and so it began. The wedding was cozy and very sweet with a small group of family and close friends. I enjoyed arriving before the ceremony to take pictures while the bride got dressed and following her journey to the altar, as well as their lovely ceremony. I sadly left before the dancing and other events took place because we had a very long drive home and I was not the driver that day.

Next came a phone call from my very best friend, Sara wanting to take engagement photos with her soon to be husband and her son. I was ecstatic to be a part of something I find very special. I have been her friend since we were Freshmen in High School and to be part of her special occasion was a wonderful experience. So, off we went on an adventure to Marshall, IN. I loved taking their pictures and sharing their special day in beautiful moments. I have also had the pleasure of taking her pictures during her first alterations appointment for her dress (however, I am not allowed to post those until the wedding. The groom has not seen her dress yet :D)

After those two sessions, I realized how much I truly enjoyed taking pictures. My mother, allowed me to keep her camera and gave me all of the lens, batteries, chargers, cases, and books she had for the whole camera. I was shocked that she allowed me to keep her camera. She loves photography as much as I do. She is who I got my love of photography from. When she allowed me to keep her camera (on loan until I can afford my own. I don’t care what she says about me keeping it) it opened up huge doors for me. She stated that she wanted to be my silent partner. She has helped me so much with purchases. Things like cute knit newborn outfits, backdrops, and my business cards. When I decided that I wanted to start an actual photography business she was the one I called and sat talking with one night trying to come up with a name. During that conversation, I kept coming back to FeyWild. I lived my life being surrounded by magic and fairies because my mother created that life for me. Fairies are also called Fey creatures and since they live in the wilderness I thought it was the perfect name to stir thoughts of magic and beauty in others. In other words, FeyWild Photography was born.

Since graduating from High school I have done exactly three things with my life: Wedding, Veterinary, and Photography. These particular skills, I feel, make me unique qualified to work in the private photography field especially because the main aspect of photography that I want to do is Birth Photography. I gained the skills for photography in general from my mother, any other things that I learned came from working in a studio. The Veterinary industry is tough, anyone that tells you differently isn’t actually in it. Emotionally and physically it is tough. When I got into the industry I had the bright idea to go out and start working in an Emergency Vet office. I had no idea what I was doing or how to even learn how to do. To this day, I do not know why the office manager hired me, but she did and I am forever grateful. When I started I will never forget the emotional fatigue that came with the job. Coming home and sobbing myself to sleep because of stupid mistakes that ended with the death of furry loved ones was a difficult pill to swallow, but I learned how to put the feelings somewhere else and do my job. I feel like those skills would and will aid me well, again especially in birth photography because I can put my feelings and my emotions aside because I learned how to do that. I can, quite literally, be the fly on the wall photographer that I am paid to be. Lastly, I loved working in the wedding industry. I did everything from event planning, to dress finding, to color planning. However, the thing that I loved the most was helping a girl find the dress of her dreams. I loved seeing her face and watching her friends laugh and smile. I was able to share in a special moment without exactly participating (like being a photographer). All of these jobs and these 11 years of being out of high school and being in customer service the whole time led me down a single path, FeyWild Photography.

I decided to start a Facebook page, talk to my personal Doctor, who is also an OBGYN, talk to my florist friend, and of course, talk to my mother. I started laying down plans for what I wanted to accomplish. I created a name, I decided on a look that I wanted for the face of my business, and I knew the people that I wanted to talk to first. My mother was the smartest of them all, she said I needed business cards and my florist friend said between those and facebook I was doing it exactly right. It is all about getting your name out there and developing a relationship with the public that then develops into a reputation. I asked my husband to draw a picture of a fairy mom and baby silhouette and then make the background purple with light. It was a hard concept to explain but he figured it out and I am very happy with the business cards he helped me create. Next came the networking, something that I can thank my wedding industry days for teaching me how to do. I talked to people that I knew and when that helped me feel more confident I started branching out into the people that I could possibly build a relationship with. Event Halls, Hospitals, and Birthing Centers phone numbers were written down, emails were sent out, and plans were and are continuing to be made. The hardest part about going out to places that you have never been to is the whole “selling yourself” part. I didn’t want to come off like a sales rep, but I also wanted to make sure they knew that I was here to establish a business in the area. First up was Sacred Roots Midwifery and a meeting with their Office Manager, Kate W. I was so nervous I realized at one point I was rambling and mentally told myself to shut up. Thankfully after leaving, I came home to find that I had received a text message from her asking if we could meet for coffee the next day because she had some ideas she wanted to discuss.

“You have something different. I saw it when we talked yesterday. It is why I wanted to meet and talk about some options and get to know you.” It was nice to hear that, even when you are so nervous you aren’t really sure what to say to “sell yourself” to the buyer but you want to be clear that you are offering something worth buying. However, that is what was said to me when I met with Kate W., a local Doula when she’s not working as an Office Manager, that wanted to work together to offer a very nice package for mommies. It was a pretty big moment in my life that was topped off with a wonderful message from my Doctor telling me that she had booked two mothers’ that wanted me to take their pictures for their births. It was the highlight of my business starting moments to date.

Many of my friends and family know that I have been without a cell phone for seven months. During that time it was very difficult to get in touch with me but I learned to make it work. When I decided to start a business my husband wound up being the receiving end of many phone calls and my endless nattering to keep the ringer on his phone on just in case someone called to speak to me. Thankfully, I will soon be making more business cards with the correct phone number on them at some point because I finally was able to get my upgraded cell phone. Thank goodness for technology.

I have a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head about different ways to network. I recently got in touch with “Perfect Wedding Guide” here in Indiana and I was able to get a listing on their website as an Event/Wedding Photographer. I plan on contacting them to discuss coming to a show to be a vendor. I have a six-month goal, a year goal, and a three-year goal. If after all of that time I am actually becoming a full blown business woman I am heading to a planned five-year plan. I current goal is the six-month goal and I feel like I will hit my mark. I have a lot of networking goals and plenty of ideas that keep rolling around in my mind.

I think my biggest selling point is AFFORDABLE photography. You still get the same level of photography as some of the larger more well known private photographers but for, what I think, is much more affordable. The people that I have talked to agree with my pricing and stand behind my ideas. I can’t wait to get my name out there and make beautiful memories that will last long after the moments the capture.

Stay tuned for more. Thank you for reading.

Shooting For The Stars

Tags

ADHD Awareness, Baby Bump, Birth, Birth Photography, Brand, Bridal Show, Business, Canon, Dreams, Engagement Photography, Facebook, Family, FeyWild, FeyWild Photography, FeyWild Photos, Home Improvement, Homeschooling, House Cleaning, Karate, Midwifery, Networking, Perfect Wedding Guide, Photography, Portfolio, Twitter, Wedding Photography

It’s been a while, well let’s face it… it’s been 2 years since I posted a blog. However, here I am again typing away on the computer to try to get an idea of where I was going with my life years from now when I come back and read these for the fun of it. Where to begin….? I guess I will start with my kids. Rayne and Liam are both growing up way too fast and they learn new things every single day. I enjoy having the opportunity to watch them grow. My home would be the next thing, that is the most challenging obstacle in my life right now. We have been in this house now for three years. A lot has changed but there is still such a long way to go to be where I hope it can be some day. Next, I have some personal goals that I am working on. Things that are embarrassing, things that are goals, and things that are or could be life changing as long as I put in the time and effort over the course of many months.

Last school year (2015-2016) we put Rayne in Kindergarten in a public school. Originally, I had planned on waiting until this school year (2016-2017) to put him in school because I knew that he wasn’t quite ready to go to school. However, after some family prodding, he was set to start school last year. He didn’t do very well because of his energy level so we tried medication and half days at school. When that still failed to produce results, my husband and I decided to pull him out and try again the next year. The summer came and went and it was time to start school again.

Nervously, I planned for the worst while hoping for the best. He was still taking medication for ADHD but this time he would go full days at school. The first month went by and he was doing very well in class. His teacher was happy to have him return to her classroom and he was enjoying school. September rolled around and notes started coming home saying that another child was picking on Rayne during the day. The school assured me that they would handle it and that Rayne was not causing the mayhem so I left it to them, but I did speak to Rayne about not going near the kid that was being nasty to him. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the end for Rayne’s public school days. He started going back to the way that he was the year before and I started getting notes saying he was having a hard time sitting still and paying attention. October came and the last straw was a note from his teacher saying that Rayne was “refusing” to do his school work in class. When I was a child that kind of thing earned you a one-way ticket to the Principal’s office and a recess banging erasers instead of playing. Apparently, that now means that the child just has more homework to do when he gets home. It went from hand written notes from the teacher to a small blue piece of printed out paper stapled to his work saying he didn’t use his time wisely. The more work that came home the more I felt like there was a piece of the puzzle missing. Rayne didn’t act like that at home. When I told him to sit down and do his work, he did it. If I told him to knock it off, he stopped. So why was he having so many problems at school? I was also super unhappy having to give him medication for ADHD because it was causing us to have to visit the Dr. more to keep track of his weight (the type of medication is also used as an appetite suppressant), he didn’t want to play with his toys, and he would wake up in the middle of night and vomit if he missed a dose (weekends). As Fall Break approached for the students Rayne went to a Dr. appointment and it was that day that my family and I were given a choice.

October came and the last straw was a note from his teacher saying that Rayne was “refusing” to do his school work in class. When I was a child that kind of thing earned you a one-way ticket to the Principal’s office and a recess banging erasers instead of playing. Apparently, that now means that the child just has more homework to do when he gets home. It went from hand written notes from the teacher to a small blue piece of printed out paper stapled to his work saying he didn’t use his time wisely. The more work that came home the more I felt like there was a piece of the puzzle missing. Rayne didn’t act like that at home. When I told him to sit down and do his work, he did it. If I told him to knock it off, he stopped. So why was he having so many problems at school? I was also super unhappy having to give him medication for ADHD because it was causing us to have to visit the Dr. more to keep track of his weight (the type of medication is also used as an appetite suppressant), he didn’t want to play with his toys, and he would wake up in the middle of night and vomit if he missed a dose (weekends). As Fall Break approached for the students Rayne went to a Dr. appointment and it was that day that my family and I were given a choice.

Rayne in his first Live Lesson- Homeschooling 2016

Rayne’s doctor is my doctor that I have had since I moved to Indiana SIXTEEN years ago. I love her. She was my doctor as a teen, she was the doctor that helped deliver Rayne, she was the one that I asked for when Liam was born. She is more than a doctor to me, I consider her very much a friend that I love and deeply respect. I went to her with my concerns and she basically said if it was her child she would homeschool him. I left that appointment and went over to my grandmother’s house with my mother, father, husband, and both kids. We sat together and made the decision to homeschool Rayne. He finished out public school and when they went on Fall Break I signed him out of public school and never looked back. Now, we are in the beginnings of Semester Two and Rayne is a straight A student. He loves school and he asks every day “Do I have school today?” He likes his teacher (they have a Live Lesson on the computer twice a week) and he loves being home. He is no longer taking medication and he can sit still and do his school work when he is told to. He gets longer breaks and has more fun learning with daddy and mommy than I think he did at public school. He has a sticker chart every day at home and on Fridays when he has had a good week we have a “Treasure Box” that he gets to pick a prize out of to play with. He is rewarded for good behavior and he has learned to focus better. It isn’t like the house is silent and he has no distractions either. There is a two-year-old, dogs, cats, TV, and many other things going on in the house. And through it all, Rayne can sit and do his work with me right beside him just in case. On top of all of that, Rayne was obviously bored in school because all of his homework was so beyond repetitive. I know that kids need to learn by doing it over and over but the classes that he takes now are much more fast pace. He has to think, he has to use his creativity, brain, eyes, ears, and focus.

Rayne at his Belt Change Ceremony

In the midst of all of the public school to homeschooling change, Rayne started taking Karate to help with focus and controlling his impulses. He started in August as a white belt in the beginner classes which they call “Lil’ Dragons” and since starting, I have seen such changes in him. It was hard in the beginning because there were other students in his class that I could tell had the same problem and sometimes their antics would get the better of Rayne and he would join in, but I knew that if he could knuckle down he would wind up being very gifted in Martial Arts. Rayne has had a deep fondness for Martial Arts for as long as I can remember. He loves Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and any movie where there is Karate and Fighting Arts. When he learned he would be in Karate I thought he’d come right out of his skin, he was so excited. He quickly went from a white belt to a blue and white belt and recently a very exciting thing happened. I received a special invitation in the mail to come and talk to his Sensei and Shihan about joining a special class of youth students known as the “Dragon Flames”. When we got there we were informed that this class is by special invitation only and that at least three separate teachers had to suggest that a student should be in the class to even be considered. Rayne is now taking class three days a week in a higher level class and on the third day of the week he is taking a special “Kicknastics” class (kicking, trick, and tumbling) where he is the youngest student and currently the lowest belt color. He is now a yellow and white belt and part of the “Dragon Flames” class. He is very proud of his new blue Gi (uniform) which replaced a white Gi that he used to wear. He is very focused in class and it has been commented on by family and teachers alike. I love watching him learning to control his energy level without having to pump him full of chemicals that crush who he is as a person. He is a bright and beautiful star in my life. I think he will go all the way in Karate for sure.

Liam is turning two on the 28th of this month and my goodness here comes the terrible twos. He definitely knows the word “NO!” and he will tell it to you quite loudly. I have spoiled that child something fierce and it is something I’m about to pay for, but that’s ok. He will learn, it just takes time. In the past probably… two months he has really become animated and started talking more. He is trying to learn new words and talk with us about what he wants. He recently learned “Please” which is adorable because of course he looks at you with those giant blue eyes and says “please” and you about want to die because it is so sweet. He’s a very loving baby to the family. Whenever anyone gets home he runs up to them and throws his arms around their leg and looks up saying, “Hi!” when you answer he then says, “What doin?” and you can have a short but oh so adorable conversation with him about your day and his day before he is ready to do something else. He is very inquisitive. He always wants to know what you are doing and if he can do it too. He loves to play with blocks and pretty much anything in his big brothers’ room, much to Rayne’s dismay. He loves to look at books and watch Octonauts in the morning with Rayne or daddy. I am more the snuggle bug with him. Whenever he’s ready to fall asleep he comes to me and settles quite contentedly into my lap and drops off to sleep promptly within five minutes of settling in. He enjoys singing and dancing very much, which of course, is completely adorable. He has recently decided that he loves the Netflix show “A Series of Unfortunate Events”.

Liam- Late Fall 2016

The thing about Liam is, he has the most gorgeous eyes. They’re so blue and they change to gray depending on the weather and what he is wearing. I love his eyes. I can tell he is going to be a very handsome man (so is his brother). He also has the best smile and a giggle that is infectious. I love taking pictures of Rayne and Liam together because they are beautiful children. I know, I know I am biased but I can’t help it. They are my pride and joy. Liam loves going outside and I am hoping for one more good snow before winter is over so he can go outside in his snowsuit and play in the snow. I want to get pictures of Rayne and Liam together in the snow. I think they would be pretty.

The house has come a long way since we moved in 3 years ago. The walls are painted, the bathroom is completely tiled, the floors are mostly done, and the kitchen is almost entirely finished. It is very homey for us. Rayne enjoys his room to the fullest. He has a fabulous playhouse bunk bed type bed that he loves very much. He has a great imagination. I hear him playing in his room all the time and he’s always making up fantastic tales and coming up with interesting adventures for his toys. The fireplace is probably my favorite thing in the house, it is so toasty in the Living Room with the fire going. I have so many goals for the next year to three years. The room that my husband and I use as our bedroom currently, will be converted into an in-house photography studio and office. The upstairs will be finished and we will move the bedrooms up there. I plan on working more on the front yard and making it look more inviting and beautiful. I want more color. There are also some trees out front that are scaring the crap out of me. I feel like they need to be removed for safety reasons. I also fully intend to put a privacy fence up in the backyard. There are also a few dead trees in the back that need to be taken down for safety before they fall down.

The house- Front Yard

I’ll be honest, l when I first moved into the house I didn’t “love” it. There was a lot to do and it was the total opposite of what I thought I would live in when I got a house. However, as the years have gone by I have fallen more and more in love with this place. It is the exact opposite of how I felt when I lived in an apartment. I would move in loving a place and by the time my lease was up, I hated living there. There is still much to do and I admit I am excited to continue working on it.

The last thing that I am working on in my life is two things at once. When you wake up and realize that you are about to turn 30 and you haven’t done a lot with your life, career wise…. and on top of that you are nearing a huge promise that you made yourself would never happen. You quite literally have an “OH CRAP” moment and have to either fall into a deep dark depression or pick yourself up and say “Aw hell no.”I chose the latter of the two options and I am so glad that I did. I can’t believe how blessed I feel with where my life is heading. In fact, I’ve never felt AS blessed as I do right now. I want to inspire others to find the light and joy in what they want like I am.

Recently, I decided that I had gained quite enough weight and it was time to do something about it. I went to my Doctor thinking I was going to discuss having Bariatric Surgery. However, she had a better idea. I held my breath and jumped into that idea and for the past month, I have lost almost a pound a day and I am so excited about it. I gave up sugar and diet soda to start with. The sugar wasn’t so hard, but the diet soda took a lot of work to finally kick the habit. I haven’t craved a soda in over a week and for someone that could drink four to six cans a day and had been for the past probably 15 years, that is pretty good. I can’t bring myself to post how heavy I refused to allow myself to get to, nor post what the weight was that finally caused me to find myself sitting in my Doctor’s office saying, “No way, help me,” yet. However, as more results happen I feel that I will be able to share that with you, the reader. I can say that I feel fantastic mentally and I am starting to feel more and more physically fantastic as well.

When I did my “Holy CRAP I’m turning 30!” moment I suddenly had an epiphany of what I wanted to do with the career aspect of my life. And so, on November 13, 2016, FeyWild Photography was born from a dream I have had for years. I decided that I wanted to be a private photographer. I went to my family and I told them what I wanted to do and the next thing I knew I had huge ideas and plans going through my mind of what kind of photographer I wanted to be. More than anything, I wanted to do something that I knew would be cherished by those who received the photos. So, I set out to be a Birth photographer. I did and do plan on taking photos for Weddings, Seniors, Maternity, etc. However, the absolute dream and passion goes to the Birth photography. As someone who had an emergency C-section and then a VBAC but no one taking pictures it is something that I greatly miss because I was, as a new mom to be would be, quite distracted from reminding my nurse or husband to run grab someone to take pictures.

My mother has become a silent partner that has helped me get going on so many of my ideas. She purchased some props for when I start doing newborn photography and a beautiful wicker basket to go with them. She also gave me the best gift ever, business cards. My husband did the artwork and I edited them until I was happy with them and sent them off to be printed. What has been happening over the past two days as a result of this soul searching has been amazing!

Business Card- Art by Justin McConnell

Stay tuned for more information about the photography business I am beyond excited to tell everyone soon.