CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THEIR SESSION!!!!

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THEIR SESSION! :)

Dear Time, Please slow down. Thank you.

I'm working on a special project and so some of these were taken with just a mid-grade DSLR with a standard zoom lens - I'm wondering if you can tell which ones? I can definitely see the difference but curious if you can!?!?!?

Bernadette and Joe were a blast to photograph - Joe does a great Chandler impersonation - he had us all laughing! And I am so glad they were laughing because they both have such amazing smiles, and teeth - wow, gorgeous. I love the endearing looks that they exchanged, I loved how he made her laugh and I loved how she quietly, patiently loved him. It was so sweet. And did you see her shoes? Love. Wish I could wear heels like that and not kill myself.

I can't wait for their wedding at the St. Regis Laguna Beach later this year. WOO HOO!

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THE SESSION!

It was so much fun photographing such a vibrant, loving couple...the Four Seasons Biltmore was the perfect backdrop for them and the amazing Mindy Rice really outdid herself on the florals. This wedding had the best team of professionals that I could ever dream up and the fabulous Jill LaFleur was head of it all! And she is always dressed so cute while she's working - I don't know how she does it. She is the best!

Thank you MAR (with T.E.A.M.) for your incredible talent - Corine's look was stunning. Santa Barbara DJ's kept the party moving and let me tell you - Ben really knows how to shake a leg! And of course, everything looks better in great lighting so thank you Ambient Event Design for making us all look good.

It's always nice to start off the day with a little Jimmy Choo.

I love this shot that my incredible second shooter got - thanks for your help Kacie Jean!

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THE DAY!!!

Piper is going to be one photographed little girl.

Piper does this rodeo move in the bath - it looks like she is riding a bull. She arches her back throws up one hand and then splashes back down. She provides us endless amounts of entertainment. We just love her oh-so-much!

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THE SESSION!

I am so excited to shoot their wedding in September. It's taking place at a gorgeous ranch over-looking the ocean. It's going to be amazing!

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THE SESSION... :)

In Suzi's beautiful words...

"I can't explain how comforting and surreal it was to have you at our wedding. There is something so soothing and loving about you. And to actually have you taking our pictures made me realize that we really did get the wedding that we wanted. Our day was perfect for us. I totally understand how important a 'bigger' wedding is to most women, but for me, for us, we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I had my peonies, my song, my rose petals, my mom listening on the phone, my best friend (Joey), and you. I feel so fortunate that it actually happened for us the way it did.

Please don't take it like I don't love and adore my family and friends. I do. But I knew that when I married Joey I wanted to be my most open and most vulnerable. But I knew my personality would have never allowed me to open my heart and have a lot of people watching. I know it's hard to believe, but I am actually shy.

We had a wedding planned .... We cancelled it. Personal reasons. We knew we were going to marry, but we just had zero idea of how, when, or where. I was willing to just go down to a courthouse, but Joey really wanted me to have a "wedding" still. So he insisted that we be patient, start over, and plan our wedding just as we had before. Sans guests. His desire to see me have a wedding and to be happy made it okay for me to make a big deal about our day, even if it was going to be only us. Mary Jane, I am not exaggerating when I say this, when I opened those doors (minus the struggle to get them open) and I saw him standing there, I truly fell in love with him even more in that moment. I had never felt more blessed in my life. Nothing else existed. So ironically, in hindsight, 1000's of people could have been there and I probably wouldn't have even noticed. I was so focused on him. And he would tell you the same thing. He was completely focused on me. I think the fact that getting married was a challenge at first, made us appreciate the moment even more. Joey and I are still beaming with how much love we felt for each other that day. In that moment. And still do. We had no idea it was going to feel like that. I don't mean to go on and on. It's hard to stop once I get started."

Loved these rockin' Jimmy Choos!

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THEIR LOVE STORY!

Alexis and Patrick have the sweetest love and affection for each other. They were so easy to photograph because their love is so real and evident. I'm so blessed to have been apart of their day.

Alexis and Patrick put together the most wonderful team of professionals to pull off the perfect day. At the helm was one of my favorite coordinators Rebecca with Imagine...the day couldn't have happened without her! This wedding had some very special touches, one of them being that it was a COMPLETELY VEGAN affair. And me, being a big meat lover, was really impressed with how amazing the food tasted...they even had vegan sliders...(who knew there was such a thing) :)

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THEIR DAY!!!

Once I get this whole no sleep, no free-time thing all figured out, I will be doing lots more posts. :) I have the photos, I just don't have time to post them. Mark and I laugh and wonder what we did with all of our time before Piper Jane. Seriously?!?!?!?!? It's so funny. Sometimes I feel like I don't even have time to brush my teeth. Last week, I found myself out walking Piper around the neighborhood and I realized mid-step that I hadn't brushed my teeth or ran a comb through my hair in what felt like weeks. But really, it was only like a day (thank goodness). Then I looked down at a freshly bathed Piper, in her matching pink sweatsuit and darling flowered headband. It looked like she was ready for a photo shoot or a date.

This thing called motherhood is such a funny and absolutely wonderful whirlwind. But you will be happy to know that I since promised myself that I wasn't going to "let myself go"...i.e., I will NOT wear over-sized workout t-shirts and never get out of the house.

A week or so before Piper was born, I went in to get my eyebrows done. HELLO, you only have one chance to make a first impression. When Dana (the eyebrow lady) was finished, she said, "Well, I'll see you in a year!" I'm sure I looked dumbfounded. Almost immediately I replied, "Just because I have a child doesn't mean I'm going to let my eyebrows grow together!" She just smiled and said, "O.K., we'll see." Yep, I haven't been back....YET! Babysteps people, babysteps.

In the meantime, Piper and I are discussing a schedule that will work for both of us. We are still in negotiations. She seems to have the upper hand at the moment. But, when it all comes down to it, mother knows best. She'll get it. At some point. I just know she will.

Another thing I remember thinking in those precious moments after the delivery was I FINALLY understood a mother's love. I realized that was exactly how my mom looked at me. She had that same moment...but it was me she was looking at...and I feel so lucky that I got her. As my mom held Piper for the first time right after the delivery - I stared in amazement. I FINALLY understood how much my mom loved me.

My mom left yesterday morning at 5 a.m. to head back to Colorado with my dad. She said she wouldn't be able to say goodbye...it would be too hard. So, she packed her bags the night before and when 5 a.m. came, they were out the door. She brought Piper Jane into me one last time before she left and I couldn't hold back the tears. But, I knew deep down she was leaving because she loved me - I mean, she couldn't stay FOREVER. Plus, I know she has the utmost confidence in me as a mother and I know she just wants the world for Mark, Piper and I.

My mom was there before the delivery, she held my hand through it and she stayed for 2 weeks after to help with Piper, cook, clean - and do whatever it is that mom's do. She is always busy. She is a master list-maker. Whenever there is a spare moment she'll exclaim, "Let's make a LIST!" It's her favorite thing to do...and her next favorite thing is to try and get everything crossed off. It's a constant cycle. We've made so many lists together, I could make a never-ending list of all the lists we've made.

One of the biggest fears I had of her leaving, was I was going to have to put into words how grateful I was for everything that she had done for us...and that was going to be hard...almost next to impossible. There just aren't words that will ever come close to the gratitude that I feel.

So, I thought about Piper and how I would want her to thank me and I thought, hmmm...all I ever truly want is for her to know how much I love her. So, there. I did it. Mom, I know how much you love me...and I feel so lucky that I got you. Thank you. Thank you for being my best friend, for loving me, for making me a better person and most importantly, a better mother.

Piper Jane Strong andbull; March 3rd, 2010 @9:56 p.m. andbull; 6 lbs., 10 oz, 19.25 in.

It all started to become real at 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday, March 3. That's the exact time that I sleepily picked up my iPhone to start timing my contractions - I could barely make out the numbers on the bright screen. They were sweet little contractions...nothing heavy or major...but they were happening about every 8 minutes. I remember waking Mark and saying, "I think today is the day."

Mark didn't go into work that day. So, we made a point to sleep a little bit longer and relish in each other a little bit more...it's almost as if our bodies were preparing for what was to come. As the day went on, the contractions got a little bit longer and they naturally got closer and closer together.

The code was 411. That was the magic number. When the contractions were 4 minutes apart, for 1 minute, for 1 hour...that was our que to grab our bags and head to the birth center. So, to pass the time, Mark, my mom and I played Banana Grams. It's funny because I don't think I'd ever won a game until that day. I wonder if they were letting me win? It's sort of like a solitary Scrabble game, but you play against each other. It's just bananas! I'm not kidding. I don't think Banana Grams will never be the same and I won't ever play it without thinking of that most blessed day.

By 3:00 p.m., we were loading the car and off to Ventura. It turns out March 3^rd was THE day. At this point everything was progressing quite quickly, my mom told me later she thought I was going to have Piper in the back seat. I didn't think that - but I remember wanting to have a few words with our lovely CalTrans about all of the darn pot holes on the 101. Those could have been the end of me.

The birth center was the perfect place for Piper's birth. The midwives were the greatest support and really allowed us to approach the birth in the best and most natural way. They had a tub for soaking, they encouraged me to eat and drink throughout the entire process and it was a very comfortable environment. But, come to think of it, I only ate 2 goldfish during the entire 7 hours. But, I was drinking Gatorade like it was going out of style.

Mark and my mom never left my side that day. While I knew that my strength and stamina was coming from a place far beyond the human view, I still needed them there...holding my hand, stroking my head and cooling my brow. I remember thinking at one point, "Can I seriously do this?" And it's an all too familiar a question and I've asked it to myself many times. I asked myself this very question every mile for last 6 miles of the Santa Barbara Triathlon, and every mile for last 6 miles of the LA Marathon. But, you know what - the answer has always ended up being the same. And I may not come to this answer until the finish line - but the answer is always an abounding - YES!!

Painful, some may ask? Well, is the sky blue? Haha. No, really. It's hard to explain (unless you've been there) but it really was beyond what I knew of pain. It was another dimension. It's a place where pain was equalized by the highest sense of happiness, joy and excitement that I have never known. It's a place of complete and utter surrender. Surrender. That was the key for me. It's truly the perfect natural balance...God made it that way. I remember looking at Mark during one of the final pushes and I saw him look at me like he has never looked at me before. There was something in his eyes...it was a love that I had never actually SEEN before - I had felt it, but I'd never seen it so clear and so sweet and so right in front of my face.

And then I hear, "There's the head - babies got blonde HAIR!" Once I heard that it was a few more pushes and there she was. She came out and they put her right on my belly, skin to skin. I remember her looking up at me and we locked eyes. Then she let out a joyous scream and I think I was too happy to cry. I almost couldn't breathe. She was beautiful. She was there. And the moment was all ours - it wasn't for anybody else in the whole world. I looked at Mark and somehow got out the words, "Well, what did we get?" He looked under the blanket and said, "Well, I don't see anything, so it must be a GIRL!" We laughed, we cried, we embraced and praised God for such a perfect blessing!

We left the birth center about 3 hours after the birth. My mom drove, I rode shotgun and Piper and daddy got to know each other in the back seat. It was 2 in the morning. Rain was coming down as we headed back up the 101. My heart was full of gratitude and in just plain awe of God's perfect plan and I even made a point not to curse the potholes.