update on the Pigbear

Hi all.

After my last post we had quite a bit of Pigbear drama. As Sarah was recovering from her stomach bug she decided not to take any food or fluid. After trying to hydrate her with an eyedropper (trust me, NOT fun), we had to take her to the ER where they admitted her for dehydration. We spent Wednesday night in the hospital which was one of the most tramautic experiences of my life - especially after she pulled out her first IV and had to get stuck again, and again, and again. The catheter wasn't any fun either.

At any rate, we're home. We have a healthy Pigbear who is eating and drinking like the little piglet that she typically is. We are more thankful for her than we ever have been, and we have a new perspective on what it means to have a healthy baby (99.9% of the time). Spending one night in the hospital was enough for me...I just can't wrap my mind around how it is for those who have really ill babies. My heart aches for them.

So, there it is. Thanks for your happy thoughts. Hopefully I'll be posting pictures of our happy, squealy little Pi'bears real soon!!

why everyone needs a Samantha or an Amy...

1. Because when you and your daughter are sick and you can't move, let alone change clothes, find keys, drive the car, or go the grocery store, someone will always be willing to bring you some pedialyte and gatorade.

2. Because when your entire family falls ill to the nastiness, dinner will arrive on your front porch complete with steamy chicken noodle soup, cans of gatorade, freshly baked bread, and ice cream sandwiches.

3. Because when you finally emerge from your filthy virus-infested cocoon and announce that you're healthy and ready to face the world again, someone will still believe you and want to give you a ride to bookclub.

What would I do without friends like this? Thank girls. For real.

Now, here's the Pigbear. Slowly emerging from her poopiness...

bye-bye empty space

As I mentioned in a previous post, Brent got several things checked off of his Daddy-Do list while we were down south. Cut matboard...check! Frame photos...check! Hang art on the previously empty and blah bedroom wall...check! You gotta love a man who knows his way around a frame shop.

And here's the result...






I love it, love it, love it. Recognize those pics?

And, lastly, let me say again because I know you loonies are about to go crazy on me...SHE WAS NOT SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! It's the Santa Fe Trail.

you people are so demanding

Sheesh...the tooth already. Everybody wants to know about the tooth.

Her first tooth came up while we were in California about 6 weeks ago. It's now a full-fledge chomper. Her second is about halfway up and, judging by the continuously runny nose, I'm guessing she's working on another.

Here's a close-up as requested by The Most Demanding of All Demanders...Susie (PSU, or "the orginal"). This was taken during Sarah's highly anticipated 1st birthday shoot. I can't post anymore until the invitations come in the mail. But, trust me, they're cute. Thanks to the fast moves of Ms. Amy who is becoming a professional at keeping that Pigbear entertained.



Dry cheeks compliments of the frigid weather we had here today. Sarah and I were caught in the SNOW!

no place like home

I have a confession. I asked Brent last night on the phone if we had plans for dinner tonight. I obviously haven't done the grocery shopping for the past week and I was dreading coming home this afternoon and immediately facing the "what's for dinner?" dilemma. It was just too much reality for me to handle after a week away. So when Brent responded last night with "I have it covered" I was a little concerned that he would be scrambling for takeout on his way home, further delaying the reunion of our little family. I even asked Amy on the way home from the airport if she knew what I was having for dinner, thinking maybe "I have it covered" really meant "I got us invited over to the Shertzer's".

So imagine my surprise when I walked into my cozy, spotless home that smelled deliciously of something warm and perfect. The slow-cooker! Oh my goodness! Now, for real, the only thing better than walking into your house after the slow-cooker has been on all day is walking into your house after the slow-cooker has been on all day when you didn't even know it! Heaven.
That made my day pretty much perfect. Dinner was cooking, lunch was in the fridge for Sarah and me and Brent checked off several items on his daddy-do list while we were gone. It's good to be home!

With that, let me share a few pics from our trip east. We spent most of our time at Mom's new house but we did venture over to Chattanooga for an afternoon to see that clan and have a little early birthday celebration for the Pigbear. We also had a special visit from Sarah's MamaJo, Papa, and GG. So here's some of that random goodness...

first, Mom and Tom in their new home...






Hangin' with Nana at the BBQ joint...




Just practicing for the real thing...



Sarah lovin' her some GG squeezes...



Grama took us to THE BEST park...can't wait for "the cousins" to get bigger! (wait, yes I can.)



And, finally, bathtime at Grama's house...





Thanks for checking in on us after a long week!!

be home tomorrow.

Just an update on where the heck The Pigbear is. We board our flight early tomorrow morning and should back in our cozy home by early tomorrow afternoon. (note to self: call Amy with flight info. today!!)

We've had a great time hangin' with Grama and have tons of pics to share. Hopefully I'll update tomorrow afternoon. Until then, go harass Meghan about posting her freshly edited, beautiful pictures of baby Charlotte!

bloggin' update

Hi all! Just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking a bloggin' break until I get back to CO. Taking care of an almost one year old in unfamiliar terrain is enough of a job for me right now! Check back in at the end of the week!

baby's got a new pair of shoes

Thanks to Colleen and Samantha's trip to the Bobux factory store this weekend, Sarah has a new pair of shoes. And they're doggie shoes no less! She's 100% infatuated with doggies or anything furry with four legs that might possibly be a doggie. We're pretty sure her first word was "dog", she can bark with the best of them, and, as Mr. Rich can attest to, she's a darn good panter too! So of course the girl's got to have some doggie shoes!

I couldn't resist the matching outfit today...so here are a few pics for those of you in Pigbear withdrawal.











Sarah and I are traveling to Nashville tomorrow to see Grama! While we're there we're going to visit Grandaddy and Nana and a slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins in Chattanooga. We'll also get to see MamaJo, Papa and GG for a day. Stay tuned for Sarah's adventures down South!

Momma Brandy (and Daddy Todd!)

Will it ever cease to amaze me when this...




becomes this...



Delaney is only 5 days old and already surrounded with SO much love. Just the way it should be.







Congratulations to the proud parents...and good luck at work tomorrow Todd!

pretty lady number two...and a one year old

More shoots to post.

Yesterday Amy and I had fun documenting her 21st week. We started backdrop pics at 16 weeks but I won't post the progress here...just trust me...she's come a long way!! She tied that little blue bow on to show she's got a BOY in there. I love that.







Then this morning I met Colleen and Noah. Met them as in "got togther" not as in "just met"...

Anyway, Noah is turning ONE YEAR OLD in two days. He's the first of the playgroup babes to meet the one year milestone so it's a little sad (and exciting!) for all of us. Could he BE any cuter?

I know I got a little carried away posting my favs. Forgive me?

Colleen, 11 minutes and 43 seconds left of uploading...then you'll have your pics!!

pretty, pretty lady

We're gonna go on hiatus from the Pigbear for the next few days because I'm swamped with shoots for others. Two maternities, one newborn, and a one-year old. You'll be seeing them!

Here's Liz. 25 weeks. Perfect belly. Beautiful soul. (can I get an Amen?)












Liz, if you haven't gotten the link yet, check your email!

three reasons to love Thursdays

1. The promise of Friday...isn't that reason enough to crown Thursday the second best day of the week?

2. Big Brother. And it's HOH tonight. Okay, I know, I'm sick. But so are the other 5 best friends that live in "the compound" with me. I use the word compound loosely...to describe our good ol' neighborhood.

3. PLAYGROUP! Gotta love seeing those four sweet babes together every week. Didn't get any shots of the other kiddos today. I do have a shoot scheduled with little Noah on Monday though so you'll be seeing his sweet face soon enough.









Gotta throw this one in too. Don't know why but it just fills my heart. Maybe something about the fact that I helped make those little feet. Grew them in my own body. Every once in a while don't you have to just stop and go wow?



I must be feeling a little sentimental today because we're welcoming Delaney Ann into the world! Brandy gave birth this morning at 6:12am. Can't wait to squeeze that little one...and then take her picture!

Earning Her Keep

Disclaimer: the entry you are about to read is not from Pigbear's Mommy.

The last time I was allowed near the keyboard I blogged about what a great little helper girl I have in Sarah. This past weekend confirmed her status. In honor of Labor Day, I guess she wanted to, well, labor. So we did. After a few near-death experiences with the stairs, we broke down and bought a couple of baby gates. Poor little Pigbear didn't know that she was jumping at the chance to help install the bars to her own jail. Just look at her with that screwdriver.

What these pictures don't show is Sarah crawling at light speed into her Mommy's lap when I used the drill. Yellow screwdriver good. Cordless drill very bad.

But even the drill didn't diminish her desire to help. I had a little landscaping work to do, and Pigbear thought I needed a supervisor. Did I do a good job? Don't take it from me...

night nights

Somebody was busy before bed last night. I wanted to get some shots of her all snuggled up in her jammies, slicked back hair and all. Believe me, it was a struggle. She was all over the place, flipping and turning, standing and sitting, faceplanting - the whole bit. I still managed to get a few out of her. She must have exhausted herself though because she slept for an entire 12 hours...HALLELUJAH!







These next two might need a little explaining. Sarah's latest fun game is called "Hand You an Invisible Something." Your job is to take the invisible something, ooh and aah over it, and then give it back. Haven't you heard of it? It's real fun. Check it out...








Night nights, Pigbear. You're such a good girl.