Introducing Violet

So I am obviously not 50 weeks pregnant,and I am obviously horrible at blogging. I have so little free time that when I finally get on my computer, I completely forget about trying to keep up with this. In fact, my mind completely blanks out on all the things that I kept thinking that I needed to do when I finally got on my computer.

Quick Birth Story. My due date came and went, much to my (and my mother's) frustration. Two days after my due date, I was laying in bed when my water broke. When my water broke with Scarlett, it was a trickle. This was a waterfall. We called around and made arrangements for the kids while we finished packing.

We got to the hospital where they checked me and I was at 5cm. I was having contractions but my nurse and doctor thought it was so odd that I was this far along but not in pain. After getting settled in, Ben and I started doing laps around the floor. I started having more contractions and eventually they started coming one on top of the other and majorly hurting. I went much longer without my epidural this time but I was only at 6cm. I eventually got my epidural but they started suggested pitocin to move things along since I was not progressing a ton. They checked me and I was still at 7cm. 15 minutes later my doctor brought in the pitocin but decided to check me again and I was at 9cm so she wanted me to start pushing.

I pushed once and my doctor looked at Ben and asked if he wanted to help. He got all decked out in gloves and a gown and he sat on the stool between my legs. The doctor stood next to him but Ben delivered the baby. He coached me, helped her come out, caught her and then gave her to me. (I did not put  those pictures on here for good reasons). It was such a neat experience for him. It took just a few pushes and I got to watch part of it all in a mirror (which I never wanted to do with the other kids).

Violet was born at 9:45 pm on November 15th. She weighed 7lbs 11oz (same as I did). They said that she was 21.5 inches long but they were wrong because she was only 20.5 inches at her one month appointment. Her head does not look it but is 14.5 inches. The doctor was shocked and said it was one of the biggest she had seen. Yeah, Miller was 15 inches.

She has the sweetest little face!

The kids absolutely love her! Scarlett freaked out the first time she saw me nurse her but then the next time, she tried to help her and hold her head. They are always kissing on her and asking to hold her. Scarlett's new catch phrase is, "Hi baby ViiiiIIIII". The ending gets longer and more high pitched every time she says it. Miller is such a good helper and does anything he can to help her. As soon as she cries, Scarlett searches for her paci and starts shushing to her.

People always terrified me about having 3 kids and it is different, but not terrifying. I had a little anxiety at the beginning, like "what did I get myself in to" but that has passed. I just find it feels weird to have this two older kids that are very independent and then this little person who is so needy. I have a relationship with Miller and Scarlett because we interact with each other but poor Violet just does not have a full personality yet. The contrast between them feels so weird and I know it will pass as she gets older and interacts more but right now, it bugs me.

Besides that, we are doing great. She is a good sleeper and eater. We have a routine that we are getting into which makes me feel better. She is not great about being put down but sorry kid, you are the third kid and it has to happen. Sometimes she is a little difficult to get to sleep but nothing too bad. She is so happy when she is talked to. It is Miller's favorite thing to get her to make "a laughing face" aka, smile. We are just trying to enjoy every moment with this new tiny person.

I would like to say that I will blog more but the only reason that this one is happening is because Violet let me put her down earlier than she normally allows. I will try, but I doubt much will happen.

Scarlett's 6 Month Pictures

I was kind of lazy doing Scarlett's 3 month pictures so I made sure to get the 6th month ones that I wanted. I love capturing the seasons that we are in so I wanted to do a summery picnic outside. The location ended up being perfect and I am super happy with how they turned out.

I am not one to call my daughter a princess or be into super frilly things for her (I like some frills but I have a limit) but once the thought struck me to do a tutu, I was obsessed. She looked so pretty and I kept wanting to call her my "gorgeous little princess". While we were out in the field, she was winding down but I love the paci in this one.

There is always a picture like this for every shoot that I have done with kids. They are some of my favorites. I think I want to get them all framed for a gallery wall.

I took these the next day at home. She was obviously much happier.

I call this one her "glamour shot".

This makes her look so much chunkier than she actually is. The rufflebutt is not flattering but it is so cute!

I have already started compiling ideas for her and Miller's next shoots. So excited for them but I do not want these months to go by too quickly.

Scarlett's Newborn Pictures

So I realized that I forgot to blog about Scarlett's newborn pictures. Ooops!! I decided that rather than be sane and hire someone to take them, I could just do it. I do them of other people so why not my own family. I am actually pretty happy with how they turned out, except Scarlett would not sleep during pictures so I never got those cute sleepy pictures that I really wanted. In a normal situation, I would have kept trying but once we finally got out of the hospital, we were only home for 5 days before we went to TN for Christmas. There was so much to do in those 5 days, including getting our Christmas cards printed and since I was sending those out, I wanted to get her announcements out too. It was just all a massively complicated ordeal that pretty much boiled down to I had a baby born at the busiest time of the year.

I was already stressed out and there was so much pressure to get a picture for our Christmas card. In most of the pictures, Ben and I looked stressed out (which we were trying to get Miller to cooperate and all of us looking at the camera) but in this one we finally relaxed and laughed at his cuteness. 

Okay so I got these shots of her asleep. These were for her announcement.

I have the same picture of Miller with his birth date.

I have one of Miller with pumpkins so I needed a seasonal picture with Scarlett. 

You can definitely see her jaundice here. I tried correcting that out and then reminded myself that I am trying to capture her at this stage and that yellow tinge was part of her.

This is pretty much what he does most of the day. 

This one is my favorite. 

Taking her annual ruler picture and a protective big brother making sure she is happy. 

They are not what I set out to do but with photography it never is. I always go in wanting certain shots and leave without them. Then when I get to editing, I realize that what I got is different but just as good or better.

Baby Girl Maternity Pictures

When we took Miller's 2 year pictures, we also got some maternity pictures of me. I really wanted some photos that captured our family at this time. Since I had to be in the pictures, Heather and Ben had to take them. I had to direct Ben tons but it was a good lesson for him to learn to use my camera in case I need him to take pictures in the delivery room. By the way, if anyone is ever looking for a gift for me, I would like a clone of myself that can follow me around and take pictures for me so that I can be in them. Thanks!

This is more of a blooper picture. This is pretty much the reality of shooting with Miller. He is having a blast running around while Ben and I are exhausted and overwhelmed trying to wrangle him. 

I hate the cars behind us but I love this picture of my baby and I.

He got in trouble with Daddy, so he came running to me for snuggles.

Another blooper. This looks like Ben and I are saying, "Are we sure we want another one?"

Ben was telling me to be serious and of course that meant I could not keep a straight face.