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Be warned: this is a LONG one!

Between the beginning of summer and the near demise of my computer, I have let the blog sit idle lately. I thought it was worth backtracking a bit to share some of the images from one of the most amazing photographic opportunities I’ve had so far, capturing the birth of a child.

This was mama’s first baby. She was so sweet and concerned for all her visiting friends and family that she barely got any sleep for herself before the main event. I was a little worried for her. I kept thinking, “Sleep! This might be your last chance to get decent sleep for a long while.”

In addition to her husband, doctor, and great nurses, mama had a doula to guide and care for her.

I needn’t have worried. After finding the strength she needed to push for 3 HOURS, baby boy arrived with the sun.

I sometimes think that I overuse the word honor to describe how I feel about being invited into the homes and lives of my clients. In this case, I’m at a loss to think of  better word.  What an honor to be there, to be asked to capture this monumental moment in a family’s story. I’m still amazed.

Miss M was only 12 days old when I had the honor of photographing her and her family. Mom was a classmate of mine way back, and it was wonderful to meet her sweet family and get a glimpse of the charming life she has built.

Let’s not forget about big sister. Check out these eyes.

And I mean quick. I just have a few minutes to share some shots from the last few days in Atlanta. Full posts to come AFTER my vacation. Families, I will be racing to get your galleries to you as soon as I get back!

If you are in Atlanta and missed me this time around, please join me on Facebook or check back here to see upcoming return trips. I will be posting travel dates in the next couple of weeks.

I have been woefully neglectful of the blog lately. Here are my favorites from a recent newborn session. Baby A had only been home a day, and as the title tells you, was just three days old.

Toes still wrinkly from all that time swimming around in the womb.

A little grin?

Amazes me when moms look so pretty and put together, even when they must be exhausted, as H certainly did.

When you give someone the gift of a portrait session you are

…giving them an opportunity to record, preserve, and CELEBRATE themselves and their families.

…giving a gift that they will have and cherish for years to come.

…giving them the experience of a photo session where they get to be themselves and then see how beautiful that really is.

Gift Certificates can be purchased in any denomination and can be sent either to you or directly to the recipient.

This is also something you could register for if you are expecting a baby.

Contact me to register or purchase a gift certificate today!

I met the M family on a recent muggy morning when we got together to do a quick mini shoot at their new home.

I love this series of father and son.

But don’t forget baby sis.

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JACKSONVILLE – Just a few slots left for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

It’s been such a busy few weeks that I’ve not posted as much as I would have liked. These are from a mini session on the beach that I did recently near Fort Lauderdale. This shoot was late in the morning and it was HOT! We had to hide out under the pier to have any hope of finding shade. Miss E is beautiful, but wasn’t too keen on getting her picture taken by me! Thankfully, Daddy helped me bring out her smile.

So serious…

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JACKSONVILLE – Just a few slots left for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

ATLANTA – One Day Only – Saturday, October 17 – until 2010! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

…

Obviously, I believe in the importance of capturing moments, recording memories, and preserving them for the future. And while “a picture is worth a thousand words”, words are still incredibly and uniquely powerful. There are so many things that I want my children to know, big and little things that I want to tell them. I often want to write a thought or a story for them down, never to actually make the time. Something about putting pen to paper, in our digital age, is a barrier to me. I started out collecting random notes. I’ve tried to maintain journals for them. I haven’t had much success with keeping up with any of these.

But then there’s email. I can do that. I already do. All the time. Maybe too much. I decided to start email accounts for both CM and VC so that I can send them notes. Big ones about the things that are really important to me. And incidental ones about little things, like how they made each other laugh this morning. I can attach pictures (of course!), jot down the recipe to a meal I made for them, document interesting little things in their lives in a matter of minutes. I’ve also shared the address with their grandparents and a few special people in their lives so they can contribute as well. They should have quite an inbox by the time I actually tell them about this!

Dear VC, sometimes I worry and feel guilty that your diet is mostly composed of grapes and raisins. But right now all you need is one of those tiny little boxes, and you’re content! It’s hard to argue with that and I’m happy to provide such a simple pleasure. I love you and your sweet little pursed lips…Mommy

I’m very excited about this idea. It’s not mine originally. I saw it here. But I love it so much that I wanted to share it with you and encourage you to do it as well. I wished I’d done this when I was pregnant! I think that the ability to savor a moment frees us up to enjoy the next one, and that this will help me do just that.

I have a lot of fun sessions coming up in the next several weeks. I will get back to posting about other people’s children and families very soon!

And now, some business to attend to…

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JACKSONVILLE – Just a few slots left for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

FORT LAUDERDALE – Meet me on the beach! Only mini session slots remaining on Oct 4. Email me NOW to claim one!

ATLANTA – One Day Only – Saturday, October 17 – until 2010! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

Because I try to be all about being real when it comes to life, photography and especially parenthood, I had to share these 11 steps. I got them from my friend Jennie who I met at Me Ra‘s workshop and who happens to be an amazing person, mom and photographer herself.

I have my hands full for the next several days, so probably won’t be posting much…have a great weekend!

11 Step Program for People Who Want Kids

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Thinking of Having Kids? Do this 11 step program first!

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2 ~ Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their…

1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, an d overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the
last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3 ~ A really good way to discover how the nights might feel…

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and
be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4 ~ Can you stand the mess children make? To find out…

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5 ~ Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh..
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this – all morning.

Lesson 6 ~ Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Tele tubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you’re thinking What’s ‘Noggin’?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying ‘mommy’ repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each ‘mommy’; occasional crescendo to the
level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years.. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the ‘mommy’ tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

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BOOK NOW for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

A few slots left for  Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta families! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

I’m thinking about one more working trip to the ATL this fall, possibly in mid October. This would be just in time to get pictures for the holidays! If any of you out there are interested, please leave a comment, or email/call/facebook me so I can gauge the interest level and work on setting dates.

As with the upcoming Fort Lauderdale trip, I’ll throw in some extras to my basic packages. If those don’t work for you, contact me and we’ll come up with something that does, including splitting sessions with friends if that is more convenient for you.

Speaking of facebook, I created a fan page. I’ll use that to share more albums, events and other tidbits. Check it out and “become a fan”!

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