Recently we got the go ahead to feed Oliver rice cereal once a day to get him used to eating from a spoon in preparation for introducing fruits and vegetables to him in a few weeks.  Yesterday, while my husband was feeding Oliver, I snapped a few pictures.  When I was editing them, I put these two photos next to each other and realized how far we've all come in such a short time.  Josh and I both got a little teary-eyed too - even though we were sleep deprived, scared and had no idea what to do with Ollie when we brought him home, it was such an exciting time and we already miss how tiny he was (he was 6lbs, 7oz when we got home, and he now weighs a little more than 17lbs!).  Time really does fly and looking at these photos side by side reminded us to enjoy every moment with him! 

The first photo is from Oliver's first day at home.  He was 5 days old and had a bit of jaundice.  The second photo is from yesterday.  He's now just over 18 weeks old.

The morning of February 19th started with a bang.  At 4am my water broke, waking me up from what might have been my last opportunity ever for a full night's sleep.  Josh and I went to the hospital, where I was checked in and since I wasn't having contractions on my own, given Pitocin to start the process.   By the end of the day, Oliver still hadn't made his appearance and the doctor, Josh and I decided that a C-section was necessary.  Oliver Quinn Flanagan was born just after midnight on February 20th, weighing in at 6lbs, 7oz. The next few days were an emotional rollercoaster, with Oliver needing a short stay in the NICU and having a bout of jaundice, but we arrived home together earlier this week and all is well now.

He is the most amazing, most beautiful thing in the world.  We love him.

Today my family and I said goodbye to my Uncle Norman.  He lived an incredible, long and happy life and fought to the end.  He was a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a grandfather , a great uncle and a friend.  Norman was one of the most interesting people I know - very intelligent, great sense of humor and he cared deeply about everyone he knew.  Today the room was packed full of friends & family who he touched throughout his 82 years of life.  My Uncle Norman was someone who, when I was younger, I always took for granted.  He was an adult and I was a kid.  Enough said.  I remember him poking fun at me from time to time, especially when I started using the word "awesome" in every sentence.  As I got older, I realized how special he was.   Not only that, but he was the last remaining sibling from my Grandmother Sylvia's side of the family.  Little by little, I started talking to him about our family history, and finally, when I moved back to NYC in 2006, I decided I was going to pick up a camera and get everything on tape.  He took my Mother and I around Astoria, showing us where he, my Grandmother, and my 2 other Great Aunts, grew up, went to school & where my Great Grandfather's general store used to be.  I'm so grateful for that time we got to spend together over the last few years, and so glad I finally got to know him as an adult.  Today was a very sad day and he will be missed.

This is a photo of Uncle Norman with is wife of over 50 years, Selma, in their living room.  I love this portrait, but him and Selma always hated it.  He said he looked too old, but I'll cherish it forever.

Since my husband, Josh, made his announcement last week, I thought it was time for me to post something myself. 

Josh and I are going to be parents on or around March 4th of next year!  

We're very excited and can't wait to welcome this little person into our home!

My business will be running as normal, with no interruptions.  As of right now, I am booked into November and plan to take meetings for next year until the end of my pregnancy.  My maternity leave will be through March and most of April, with bookings beginning again at the end of April.

I was thrilled to hear that my photo of George, the French Bulldog, was a finalist in the 2009 PDN Faces Contest. I'm honored to have a photograph I took placed alongside the work of all these talented artists. Check George out in the July issue of PDN along with all the other winning images!

The scan of the magazine page doesn't do the photo justice, so here is the original image I submitted: