Two Beautiful Lives Have Gone to Heaven

It has been such a long time since I have posted an entry on my little slice of Internet heaven. I was getting soooo excited, because we were a few short weeks away from making a big announcement, and I was going to be on here a lot more through the next 9 months. But then things started to come crashing down.

Rewind to a few weeks ago: Foster, Ava and I were in Cinci for a class Foster had to take for the Army. We visited Santa:

And did A LOT of Christmas shopping. However, on our way home, we received a phone call we were not looking forward to. Foster's 98 yr old grandmother had passed away.

We had expected it for some time, but I don't think it is EVER easy.

Surprisingly, a day later, we found out we were expecting Foster baby #3. We were ecstatic, and took it as a sign from his Grand mother (who LOVED children), that this baby was meant to be.

We planned fun ways of telling our family members on Christmas, and we were thrilled to start rearranging our home to accommodate another bundle of joy. 

It took EVERYTHING in us not to spill the beans the 2 days of Foster's Grandmother's funeral. And I even let it slip on accident in conversation with his sisters. However, they promised to keep it a secret until we could surprise his mother.

We celebrated my family's Christmas on the 21st, where we packaged up a pregnancy test and my mom opened it. She was sooooo happy to be having another grandchild. But we were all bummed, because Ava didn't seem to be feeling well, and wasn't excited about Christmas AT ALL.

The next night is when things in our life started to flip. Ava had been showing signs of being sick for a few days. Sunday the 22nd her temp spiked to 103.8 and couldn't be controlled w/ Motrin or Tylenol. So we brought her into the ER. 10 hrs later we were sent home with antibiotics and albuterol treatments. 

Tuesday, Christmas Eve, we attended mass with my mom, dad and aunt. When we got home to have an AMAZING dinner Foster prepared, I went to the bathroom and I had started bleeding. With it being Christmas Eve, and the bleeding not being AWFUL, I decided to wait to call the doctor until the bleeding either got worse, or they opened on the 26th. 

Christmas morning should have been magical for Ava! Instead she was MISERABLE. One of the signs the nurse mentioned to look for was dry diapers from dehydration. Sure enough, Ava had gone almost 24 hrs w/o a wet diaper by 5pm. It was time to bring her back into the ER. This time they admitted her. Their diagnosis was RSV and Pneumonia (most likely bacterial).

The 26th I decided to call my OB. They were still closed for the Holidays, so it was time for ME to go to the ER, since the bleeding had increased significantly!

My Quant (HCG levels) were drawn, and were only 689 at 7 weeks. The U/S showed I was only measuring 5 weeks w/ a gestational sac visible, but no baby. 

I just had my follow up blood draw yesterday, and it looks like I am in fact miscarrying. The levels are only 696. they are supposed to double every 24-52 hrs. 

The good news, is Ava is doing great!!! She is home after 4 long days in the hospital, and starting to feel like her old self again! She makes me smile sooo much. The bad news, it doesn't look like she will be getting a sister or brother in the next 9 months. 

It has been an AWFUL Christmas, and I am just praying that this new year brings better things. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and be safe and enjoy this New Year!!!! 

HUGS!

Virginia Beach Mini Vaca! :-) Photos, photos and more photos!!

It has been a while since I have shared anything on my blog:-(  Part of it is because I stink at editing and uploading my personal photos because I am so busy with my client photos, and part of it is because I seriously have very little time to blog lately.  I hope to change this, and plan on getting caught up on personal images and posts. I recently went to visit my friend Laura, from Laura Enright Photography in Virginia Beach. Anyone looking for a Virginia Beach photographer, I HIGHLY suggest her!!

We took our 3 children to the Beach...the best part of having 2 friends who are photographers: two different perspectives of the same event:-) I LOVE the photos she and I captured of my baby girl and her two new friends!!! Here are just a few I took:

And here are a few of my favorites of Laura's:

We had so much fun, and I LOVE having some amazing photos to remember our trip by!!! Thank you so much Laura for the hospitality, and entertainment!!! :-)

Happy 3rd Heavenly Birthday Rosalynn Patricia!!!

Once again, my beautiful Rosalynn's birthday has come and gone. I am at least writing about it this time:-)

Foster, Ava and I headed out to the big, windy city of Chicago to celebrate and spend time with friends!! Let me tell you, April is COLD AND WINDY in Chicago!! Foster went to a Cubs game...by himself because it was raining and cold, and I was NOT making Ava sit through that. However we DID venture out in the cold to visit the aquarium...one of Ava's favorite places to visit. She had a blast sitting through Ice Age 4D, looking at the Sharks and Dolphins, and of COURSE the Jellies (my personal favorites).

Later that night, we met up with one of my best friends, and fellow photographer, Laura from Laura Enright Photography, and her family for dinner. The kids had a blast, and my husband and hers got a chance to bond and swap their military stories:-)

We had to leave and get to bed early, however, because we had an early morning full of pictures with Laura!!! She did a phenomenal job at capturing my family....all 4 of us!!

It was April 20th. We chose to have our photos done ON her birthday in tribute to Rosalynn. We picked up 3 balloons the night before to represent her 3 years in heaven. We took a few shots with the balloons included, and then I tied them to Laura's VERY heavy camera bag to make sure they didn't fly away while we took a few pictures without the balloons and before taking photos of us releasing the balloons. We were having fun, and then all of the sudden I turned around and the balloons were flying into heaven on their own!! I always knew my daughter was strong willed, but taking balloons that were securely tied to a heavy bag...now that takes some talent! LOL. Later in the week, when we arrived home, I asked Laura to check the time stamp on the photo she took of the balloon flying into heaven: 7:27AM.....Rosalynn was born @ 7:29AM....little stinker couldn't wait 2 more minutes:-)

we stopped into Panera for a little bit to get warmed up...it was 34 degrees out!! 

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this little girl?!?!?!? 

 
So as if the balloons weren't enough of a sign that Rosalynn was all around us that day, my mom and her friends were releasing balloons later that night in Ohio, and just as they started flying through a clearing in the clouds, a shooting star streamed through the sky!! They all saw it, and all freaked out with excitement:-)

We had out own little birthday celebration that night with Joe and Joe, candle, cupcake and balloons all included:-)

Look how much Ava ADORES uncle Joe! :-)

Although ideally  we would be celebrating with screaming 3 year olds running around and cake, ice cream, and presents, I couldn't have asked for a better 3rd Birthday celebration for my heavenly daughter:-) I think we may need to make these trips a new tradition for her birthday....and we can send her balloons from different parts of the country each year....next year, I am thinking Virginia may be a good state (right Laura??) :-)

3 Days To 3 Years

I am writing this now, because in less than 12 hours Foster, Avaleen and I will be on our way to Chicago to celebrate the life of our sweet Rosalynn with friends, and I am afraid I won't have time to write on her birthday.

I think this time of year has so many mixed emotions, it is sometimes hard for me to put it into words. April 20th 2010 was the day that made me a mother, which should have been the happiest day of my life, but was the most devastating instead. There are days that it just feels like it happened yesterday, but in 3 days it will be 3 YEARS.

It baffles me that I would have a three year old running around the house. We would be planning what theme to have her birthday in, what outfit she was going to wear, and what flavor cake we would have Stephanie make for us (my amazing cake lady). But instead, my family is getting ready to spend some time together and honor her short life here on earth. It is heartbreaking. I miss her!

I have missed her since day one, and even though my blogs have gotten fewer and farther between, it is not because I miss her any less. I have just immersed myself in the gifts that Rosalynn, and God, has blessed me with.

My beautiful Avaleen, my "much prayed for child". She keeps my days filled with smiles and laughter, and she is getting more and more personality by the day!

And my photography. Rosalynn's death has reaped some amazing results. I would give it all up in a heartbeat to have her here on Earth, but EVERY DAY she touches and enriches someones life!! And that makes me a proud mom!!

I will be bringing on a Media guy to my business....this is his dream. And although I believe he would have still gotten the chance to eventually fulfill his dream, my daughter, who inspired me to start my photography, is helping him BECAUSE I have a great business I can incorporate him into. She has also touched a cupcake business owner as well!!  Every time I produce a photo that a parent loves, it is Rosalynn, because she is my muse, she is who I think about every time I pick up my camera! I can name quite a few people Rosie has touched...even if they don't know it;-)

So how are we celebrating Rosalynn's short life? I am finally getting in FRONT of the camera. Laura Enright, from Laura Enright Photography has offered to give Rosalynn the best birthday gift she could think of....family pictures of her mom, dad, and sister. We will be using red balloons, and bringing the Rosalynn bear to represent our first born. We will be enjoying a nice birthday meal with Laura and her family, and Joe and Joe:-)

Joe and Joe have been so kind as to put us up for a few days, so we can see the sites of Chicago, and enjoy a little family time. I LOVE Joe, she has such a tender heart. EVERY year on April 20th she has sent a balloon up to Rosalynn. This year she will actually get to take part in the festivities WITH us.

It still crushes that this is the type of celebration we are having instead of a bunch of 3 year olds running around my house, playing and laughing. It crushes me and does not get any easier each consecutive year. But it is how I know how to celebrate Rosalynn's short life.

Please, on April 20th, hug your children a little tighter, smile at someone, or even send up a red balloon, because it is one VERY special little girl's birthday:-) (and send me a pic if you do;-) erinfoster@irisheyesphotography.net.

Trying To Catch Up (picture overload!)

In keeping with the WANT to blog more often, I figured I would START to catch up a little on updating on Ava and Life in general!

Let's see. Ocotober was Ava' Birthday!! One whole year with the love of my life! We had a small party that included close family. I wanted to focus on Ava, and celebrating an amazing year with her with the people who loved her most.

Of COURSE I had to get a few 1 yr birthday pictures. It has become a tradition for me to incorporate a military picture into Ava's milestone photo shoots for dad, HOWEVER, this time we incorporated hunting:-) I think she still looks like a girl despite the boy clothes!

Then of COURSE we got some photos of her at her party!! :-)




Chowing down on her cake:

And my ADORABLE, HAPPY Godson Cole!! :-)

The day was a true testament to how much joy and Love Ava has brought into our lives. I truly feel like Ava has an  "old soul"....as if she understands, and is more aware than any 15 month old should...and I LOVE that little soul of hers. It brightens my life! :-)

Of COURSE Rosalynn was not forgotten during Ava's Birthday time:

We wanted to incorporate Rosie bear from Molly Bears into her Birthday session! 

I LOVE the one of Ava holding her:-) My two girls!

Unfortunately, being a photographer by profession, I RARELY get in front of the camera. But I made my husband take a photo of me and Ava for her 1 yr Birthday photos, and then my AMAZING assistant took the photo of our whole family! :-)

I know this is a little picture overload, but I feel like I have to play catch up on ALOT! lol. I leave you with two last images...the last one is evidence of Ava's ornery side!