Who doesn’t like a party?  I’m really excited to have my first ever “Bare Bellies Party” this Sunday with my sis-in-law Laura and her good friend Sharon.  They are both currently growing precious little children in their bellies, so I talked them into letting me give them a little photo party to remember this special time.  We’ll start at Sharon’s house, then move to Laura’s (so we can capture both of their nurseries), and hopefully pop in some husband’s and siblings too!  I’ll let you know how it goes after Sunday.  And, if you are expecting a little bun, and want to have a party too, let me know!  I can give you your own session, or make it a fun girls thing with your other prego friends!

Oh, and by the way, that gal in the photo up top is my little sis, Maggie.  She has since given birth, but doesn’t her perfect, non-stretched-marked belly make you a little….sick???  It does to me!  She had such a beautiful pregnant belly, and I am just plain jealous!  Consequently, her little one is pretty darn cute too!

Many of you may have read about my sister, Maggie, in a previous post.  Well, she finally had her baby, Leah Beth, yesterday at 11:16am.  We are glad she’s finally arrived, but she isn’t completely healthy just yet.  Leah was born quite quickly and has some fluid in her lungs that she needs to get rid of in order to breathe completely on her own.  She is currently in the NICU at John’s Hopkins in Baltimore, and is being given oxygen to help her breathe.  This situation is completely dejavu for me and my family because about 16 months ago we were in almost the exact same situation with our youngest daughter, Brooke.  She was born with a birth defect called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and was in the NICU for one month and then in another hospital to learn to feed for an additional month.  At the time of her hospitalization I wondered what God had to teach me through all of this.  He taught me a lot, but now, especially that my baby sister is going through a similar situation, I’m glad I am able to offer her support in this unsettling time.  So, if you’ve been trying to get a hold of me, or waiting for me to return your e-mails, I have been slightly preoccupied with my newest niece.  Enjoy a few pictures of Leah…


If you are interested, you can keep up on updates about Leah on my family blog by clicking here.