Flashback Friday ~ Halloween 2007 (My Lil' Pumpkin)

After doing my last Flashback on last year's Halloween, I wanted to go ahead and look back upon Livia's very first Halloween...

My Mom picked up the cutest little pumpkin costume for her, and a few weeks before the big day, we decided to do a photo shoot with her:

We used my parents garden for the back ground, and I still cannot believe how cute the pictures turned out!

 Henry the black cat even joined in the fun -- now, we couldn't have planned a more fitting prop!

Liv was still pretty little at this time... Not even 6 months old. So it was no surprise that she was getting pretty tired after several hundred photographs.

And her sleepiness led to some really sweet pictures (like the one above)

It's sometimes hard to even remember her being this small! Yet other times, I can't help but still look at her as my little baby. I guess she always will be my baby in many ways (right, moms???) The first is always special...

And her 1st Halloween was just as special as she is!

Livia's Birth Day Pictures

Oh, don't I look happy and perky...

I had no clue what I was in for!

Perry came over for a pic while I was on the birthing ball.

Again, I look pretty happy here, but I grew to very much dislike that ball!

I wanted to have my daughter completely natural... After about 12 or 13 hours, I gave up and said, "Give me the epidural!" Thank God I did too, cause I went about 21-22 hours in labor before Liv was born. They were within an hour of having to give me a c-section, but I was extremely fortunate and didn't have to. God was really watching over me!

Obviously we waited a loooong time though, Michael was there too, and he kinda got bored...

So he started playing with all the buttons on the bed!

So, there I was on the ball in the background...

And here Michael was having a ball with the equipment!

Finally, at LONG last, Livia did come. Livia Rachelle Fultz was born at 11:55am on Saturday, April 21st, 2007.

Perry cut the cord and watched as they cleaned her up...

And sweet little Livie weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces - she was born just a bit early, but still healthy as can be.

Oh my goodness, look at that head!
She was in the birth canal so long that her head was quite misshapen when she finally came out.

It of coarse rounded out, and here's something quite funny: When we took Livia to her 1st Dr's appointment the Friday after she was born, she had actually SHRUNK a half-inch!

My first time to hold my little girl - how amazing it was!
She's not all that happy, though, is she?

Oh, Perry! You look almost mad in this pic! But at least your eyes are partly open (he just can't seem to hold his eyes open in pictures)

I love the way Perry is looking at his brand new daughter!
But *Ugh!* I look awful in this pic! I just gave birth, though... Good enough excuse?

Look! Isn't she so cute?! Ok, both of 'em are!

Livie being held by my wonderful sis, Laura Belle.

My parents with their first grandchild, and awesome Auntie Laura Belle - guess I'm the only one missing from this pic!

My Daddy holding his little granddaughter.

Me & my brand new little Baby-Boo

The happiness in my heart filled up so high,
that it just overflowed into my eyes!

Our first little family pic - with me actually looking at the camera. It was tough to do at this point! I just wanted to gaze at my new baby girl...!

Perry's mom, Trilby, with sweet little Livie.

Perry's dad, Bill, holding his new little granddaughter.
Livia will grow to know him as PaPa Bill.

Livia in the arms of her Great-Gramma Pat

Livia's Uncle Matt and Auntie Kee-Kee were the last people of the day to visit on her birth day - though as you'll see in upcoming posts, she had MANY more during our stay there!

Doesn't she look so little in his arms?

And with her Aunt Kendra - look at that beautiful smile!

Matt & K~ with their new little neice.

So, here's the end of Livia's first official day of life. Tomorrow, I'll have more of her first days in the hospital. Til then, much love to you all, take care and God Bless.

*Note: This post has been post-dated to when this entry SHOULD have been written... If I could have cloned myself, I easily could have gotten it done when it should have been done! (haha) Thanks for bearing with my insanity :o)

A Brand New Baby!

My really good friend, Jamie, and I were supposed to have lunch together on Wednesday, but for some crazy reason she canceled on me. Well, I suppose that having a baby is a really great excuse! And an even better excuse for me to get to take pictures!!! That's right, I was honored to be taking pictures for Jamie for the birth of her baby. Care to guess the name of this beautiful little child? Olivia Anne! I hope that she and Liv will grow up together & be great friends.

Another thing I'm very lucky on is (something I meant to blog about but haven't found the time yet...) I just picked up my camera from Monday all fixed and perfect. They replaced the image sensor in it, so the discoloration and spots have completely disappeared.

Anyway, thought I would share just a few of my absolute favorites from this very special day...

Before little Olivia was born - her Mommy & Daddy sharing a sweet moment.

Simply beautiful - brings tears to my eyes

Welcome to the world little Olivia!!

Ten tiny fingers, and ten perfect toes...

Being a baby is just exhausting!

There's one more really good pic just below on the last post. It's the one I did up for them to use for the announcement. I'm a huge fan of black & white, so it's just the 3rd pic shown here done up in that... With a little pink!

So this is the main reason I've been even more busy than normal the last couple of days! I spent about 4 hours there yesterday and close to 3 hours there today taking pics and spending time with Jamie & her fam. I've known Jamie literally my whole life, and my Mom & her Mom have been best friends long before we were even a thought! I really do hope that our daughters will grow to love each other just as we have.

Photographing Olivia's birth brought back SOOO many memories - I was just there in that exact same place less than a year ago with Livia! In a way it seems like just yesterday... In other ways it feels so very long ago. Was Livia ever really that small??! Actually smaller - Liv was born at 6lb 8oz; Olivia weighed in at 8lb 11oz! Jamie really was all belly. We had NO CLUE Olivia would be that big!

So, we're eventually going to have to come up with nicknames for the girls when they're together. Jamie's Mom (Anne) came up with 'O' and 'No O' - whadaya think? I love it! I even want to get them shirts with something funny like that on them when they're just a bit older.

OK, I must must MUST get going to bed... I edited about 100 of the pics, and I'm still not even halfway done (YIKES!) But it's a good start, and I need to get some sleep. Yes, I changed the time on this thing to say when I SHOULD have posted this entry. In actuality, I'm embarrassed to even say what time it is. So much love to you all, and God Bless


*OK one more quick thing - Kayla is doing MUCH better! It's been a little bit rocky this week for her, but with the latest treatments she's gotten it sounds like she's improved in leaps and bounds. Thank you all SO very much for your continued prayers for her. And for my other friend as well. Things are starting to look up for her too!

Wordless Wednesday

Welcome to the world, Olivia Anne!

Flashback Friday (Featuring Liv's 1st Professional Pics)

What? It's Saturday, you say? Well, too bad! We had a fun busy day yesterday, and I didn't *have* (OK, *make*) time to get these up. But they're important to yesterday's events! So here's a look back on the very 1st portrait session I ever took Livia to:



She was only 6 weeks old in these pictures - and now she's coming up on one year! It doesn't seem possible that it's been that long!

Yes, I had to sneak one in there of us two girls...!

OK, now the relevance part!

Yesterday I took Livia to get 'spring' pictures done! I know that we're now within a month of her 1st birthday (Ohhh...! I need to get crackin' on party-planning! Oh, and let out the big secret of what her b-day dress will be! Nope, I haven't forgotten). But I've been without my SLR for more than 2 weeks now, and I'm starting to twitch... Gotta have good pics of her! So I caved and took her to JCPenney's.

I say 'caved' because I can usually get pretty good pictures all on my own, but relatives deserve some pictures too, and this is about the only way I know for SURE they'll get some! (Yes, I'm really bad about printing pics... Any ideas for me to get better about that...?) I gotta give those gals in the JCPenney studio credit - they're amazing! They worked with Livia for as long as I wanted; they made her smile, wave, and giggle; they even let me change her outfit! Oh, and they got a few of just the two of us again.

The only problem, per se, was the choosing part - there were SO many good ones! Livia was such an Angel, and those gals just did a great job of capturing the Livia that I know and love. I ended up getting a *few* more than I'd planned to, but I just couldn't resist! (Shh... don't tell my hubby!)

Livie Looks Like...

Me or Perry?

You tell me! I dug up a couple of baby pics of me & Perry, and it's tough for me to say who she favors more. I mean, there are charisteristics that she has of the both of us. But does she look more like one than the other?

It should be pretty obvious which of us is in the picture - let me know if you can't tell who's who though!











Now for the record, I think Livia is just the perfect mix of the both of us!

Have fun comparing! Love to all & God Bless