Sweet Blessings

The sweetest blessings come in the tiniest packages. and those tiny blessings steal your heart.

This is something I learned six years ago when I had my daughter.  In 2012 my family was blessed once again to learn what it was like to have your heart stolen by someone you never met. 



12 weeks

20 weeks

With finally having a nice camera to take pictures with and knowing that this is probably our last pregnancy and baby I took photos to document how I grew.  I loved being pregnant with my first but never had a huge belly, this time I was huge.  Enjoy the photos taken by my wonderful hubby showcasing how the belly grows over time...




28 weeks

From here I had a noticeable growth every two week. 

36 Weeks

Easter 2013 we painted the belly

36weeks.  From the front you can't help but think it looks a lot like an egg!

The day before I was due (40weeks) Big Sister telling the baby to hurry up

The day after my due date....I went into labor a few hours after this photo

I love that my husband and I captured these pregnancy moments.  The 9months that you grow a baby inside you seem both to fly by and drag their feet while you're pregnant, trying to get ready for the baby which it seems overwhelming at the time and by the end with back pain, and swollen feet and all the other things that happen to our bodies the end can't seem to come soon enough we want to meet this baby we've put so much work into growing.

That time came for us 2 days after I was due.  I was in labor for 12+ hours and so tired after labor, all the morning sickness I had with both pregnancies, the back pain, the tiredness, and the long labors and the hard work of labor...I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat for my girls.  They've filled my world with smiles, giggling, and love that you can't put into words.  There are hard times I won't cover that up....but the meltdowns, tears, tantrums, and sleepless nights, are over powered with hugs and kisses and when they finally say "I love you too"

It's hard to believe that those pregnancy pictures were 2 years ago now, the time has flew by.  I'd like to share some of the last 2 years with you, and I'm happy to say that my break from the blog and photography (while I never really retired my camera) is over...I'm looking forward to sharing more stories from Little Deer Photography and capturing many more moments!




 Just can't get over newborn toes and sweet sleeping bliss

And then it seems you blink and the new born baby is already a year old and running all over...hold on to each moment you have

One year old!

That face! and a mouth full of teeth

Of course there are special moments between newborn and one year:

My family photo 2013 

As much as my baby grew and changed so did I (with some work)

I was able to lose almost all the baby weight in a year's time thanks to breastfeeding, babywearing, and eating healthy

My older daughter seemed to grow just as fast as the baby, she went from being my baby girl to my big girl, my helper, and such a sweet heart (when she's not testing out her new older kid attitude)

2012

2014

 I LOVE moments like this.

Words can't describe what it means to become a parent.  Yes there are challenges and your life is forever changed, you're happiness depends greatly on their happiness and you no longer only have yourself to worry about but now the baby.

It's the best thing in the world!  I couldn't imagine my life without either girl in it!  They give me so many reasons to smile everyday.

My husband with our baby

photographer in training

Thank you to my friend Karen for this photo

I realize this is a poor quality image taken with my phone but I love it.. It shows what lazy morning in my house is like, PJs and cuddling

Reaper's Revenge

***WARNING!***

Some images may be gruesome.  I advise making sure no kids are around before you go on to read.
 

*Not for those of weak stomachs*

This is what nightmares are made of...

OK, I can be honest here...When I got hired to photograph Reaper's Revenge I was scared.  I had never been before as a customer because I wasn't brave enough to go.  Let's face it, I'm a 25 year old mother of two who, sadly, still gets nightmares.  My husband knows that scary movies are off limit before bed.

 

So why did I take this job and agree to go on the haunted hayride as a customer?  After working with and for Paul at Paulie's Hot Dogs and seeing how excited he was about Reaper's (which he created, owns, and runs), the excitement was contagious it spread throughout town and hit me too.  I wanted to go and see what all the hub-bub was about.  I heard great things about the haunt from many friends who had gone and customers coming in to Paulie's and raving about the haunt in previous years and looking forward to going back again.

On a cold October Friday night, my hubby and I waited for the gates of Reaper's Revenge to open.  I've spoken to people who waited in line for the hayride for four hours.  Everyone said it was well worth the wait, but I decided to opt for the V.I.P. pass and skip the long wait.
As darkness fell, the air chilled even more and my nerves were climbing.  We boarded our wagon and were sent off into the darkness...

We weren't disappointed in the least.  Reaper's lived up to all the hype and met all of our expectations. 
The hubby and I had a great date night.  The more scared I got the more I clung to him for support.  Did you know that getting scared, leads to more cuddling which boost your immune system and releases Oxytocin?

This isn't any rinky-dink 15minute cheesy scare.  Reaper's Revenge is a full on, nothing held back adventure!  They go all out at the haunt!  The experience we had was exhilarating.  Full of antipation, unexpected scares, professional lighting and complete with sounds of the season.  We had our senses awakened and on alert!!

What makes Reaper's stand out from all the rest?  It takes you on a ride through 60 acres of terror filled woods, dropping you off to walk your way through the lost carnival

  Then if you're brave enough feel your way through Pitch Black!



The fun doesn't end there.  Try your hand at Zombie Paintball, warm up by the fire, get a bite to eat at one of the concession stands, and enjoy the band that plays most weekends.

The actors are great!  You don't have to go behind the scenes to see how much they love their job.  They are the ones who make the haunt so real and terrifying. 

Paul entices people to come back year after year by always adding, updating, and changing things at the haunt so that there's always something new and unexpected for you.  His hard work has paid off making Reaper's Revenge the biggest haunted hayride in the area!

 

If you only do one thing this Halloween season - Make sure it's Reaper's Revenge!!

Tip for those chickens like myself...go with someone, hang around the campfire after, have some good food, and go home and watch a funny movie (at least that's what worked for me)  And after going for the first time I know I'm looking forward to going again.

 

Quick Links:

Reaper's Revenge

Youtube Video about Reapers