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Welcome to Zand

I made the comment in my last post that I was going to catch up on personal updates soon, if my baby boy didn’t arrive early. I guess I jinx’d myself! My water broke that very Sunday night and I delivered my first child, Zand Asher Anderson, in a birthing bath tub at home on Friday afternoon, February 17, 2012. Don’t worry, I wasn’t in labor that whole time!

Zand is now two months old and life has been a bit busy since then. My husband, Kirk, and I savored a week and half with our  new boy before Zand suddenly stopped eating and became lethargic over a 24 hour period when he was 10 days old. We landed in the emergency room late at night and Zand under-went a battery of tests. He had an infection that required 10 days of IV antibiotics. Zand, Kirk and I spent the next 12 days in the hospital together around the clock. It was a horrific way to spend the second and third weeks of Zand’s life, and mine as a new mama, but we survived together and Zand is now  healthy, gaining weight like a champ and amazing me morning, noon and *all*-night.

My perspective on much shifts with each new day I spend with Zand. I am consciously savoring every minute of him as this tiny precious new born. I feel blessed to get to experience all of it. There is nothing I have ever known that compares to how wonderful it feels to snuggle my boy close, smell his irresistible newborn scent and to experience his contentment when I reach for him.

As in awe of my new boy as I am, my adoration and commitment to my work remains.  I am slowly resuming taking assignments here and there, and will more so in the coming months. I can’t hardly wait to work with some new clients that have gotten in touch. For now though, here are a few from my latest and most greatest personal project I’ve ever known.

Bookmark and Share April 20, 2012
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Two Years Later, RIP Papa

On February 12, 2010, just after my father took his last breath, a Hopsice nurse slipped a purple flower into his still hand, put a candle on the bedside table and left me to absorb the moment and say good-bye, as the sun slowly went down outside the Sarasota Hospice House. Two years later today and the moment still feels raw.

After the experience of being by my Dad’s side through his battle with lung cancer, so many of the decisions and choices in business and daily life are much easier compared to the life depending calls I made for my father’s care at the end of his life.

The last two years have been jam packed with big life changes for me, personally and professionally. I’m hoping to get a few personal updates from the last year posted in the coming days, before giving birth to my first child.

I love and miss you always, Dad.

Bookmark and Share February 12, 2012
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Family Vacations

The family I married into rocks. When it comes to spending time together for summer vacation my in-laws opt to hit the beach with tents and campers, grills and tarps. It’s all about doing fun things outside, together, and big family meals. This year my mom added to the fun and traveled from Kentucky to join us at San Onofre in California for the week. We had a new addition too, our new three-month-old nephew, Wesley. So stinkin’ cute.

These are a few casual snaps from moments in between, at the beach in San Onofre, California with the family last month.

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Happy Mother’s Day

Usually you have to gain a few pounds, wait 40 weeks, give birth, go through however long of sleepless nights and change a few diapers to get to the point that your child appreciates your hard work and parenting. Turns out I lucked out and skipped all of that, for this round! 

Today was my first mother’s day as a step-mom. Kirk and James greeted me with breakfast in bed and sweet handmade things over the weekend. The extra love and gratitude for the new mom roles I have embraced and am figuring out along the way of our new family, was all warm fuzzies.

James is my radical eight-year-old step-son. When Kirk and I met two and a half years ago Kirk was a full custody single dad. Much of our time getting to know each other consisted of the three of us doing things together. So when Kirk and I got married this March and I became full time step-mom, we had a pretty solid foundation in place.

Nonetheless, parenting is tough. It has been a big transition with lots of firsts along the way thus far figuring out how to balance and manage time and energy between my professional life and new roles in our sweet insta-family. Being honored as a mom today gave me pause on all the awesome ways my life has changed, and how much I love my new family and life as wife and step-mom.

Much of my personal photography day in and day out has turned to the boys. This is James in the backyard, emerging throughout the day with additional accessories between ducks in and out of bushes and hiding spots.

Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom, mother-in-law and allll the moms out there. Now, back to work tomorrow to get the first installment of my 2011 self promotion print campaign in the mail ASAP!

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Valley of Fire

It’s so easy to get stuck in the city, doing all the different things we do. So, Saturday while Kirk had to work, James and I headed to Valley of Fire State Park, about an hour outside of Las Vegas for adventuring, and a photo safari! The weather was perfect, sunny but still just cool enough.

Somehow I had never been to Valley of Fire and rather than just hitting the highlighted stops, we found ourselves more exploring the massive sandstone outcroppings and canyons, cave hopping, imagining what it was like for the Anasazi 4000 years ago traversing and surviving in the open and rocky, water-less desert. The wide-open spaces, the quiet.  Petroglyphs gave clues, created awesome 8-year-old boy curiosities and conversation.

The day was a nice break amongst a busy few weeks of work (my spring print self-promo hit the presses today and will be mailing SOON!), but the coolest part was seeing kiddo take his next steps learning about the outdoors and loving it, wanting to hike further, climb higher. Good stuff.

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Nerf Birthday

Ah yes, a boy and his birthday Nerf. Following a birthday party at Laser Quest for James’ eighth birthday, it was home for father/son Nerf action last night. Great times for them, and me and my camera.

The night ended with James asking for a portrait in his room in his new Iron Man pajamas with his birthday Nerf crossbow. Too. Darn. Good.

PS…Do you love the wallpaper?! It was his choice to keep it. I praise the decision continuously.

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Florida

A few pictures from a walk with my sweet Mom and boyfriend, Kirk, near Jupiter, Florida the day after Thanksgiving. These snaps (made on my iPhone) make me feel warm just looking at them now back in Vegas where desert winter has set in!

Bookmark and Share November 29, 2010
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The Best Stuff

A last minute get out of town for the night with Kirk and James. Camping outside Las Vegas near Griffith Peak and hiking under the full moon. Not bad for 45 minutes off the Strip.

Bookmark and Share November 12, 2010
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