I know some of you are just dying to know what the changes are that are happing for us at Rhonda Jean Photos.  Well, I can now officially tell everyone were having triplets!  We were not quite expecting this news but yep my body that seems to be so anti baby is deciding to have three babies!  Crazy right!?  Well, no wories it is crazy!  No NO more babies for us.. babies mean c-section which in turn means another epidural and well.  HA yeah no not for me or us!

Okay so after tons of number crunching and lots of talk with the hubby.  I’ve decided to make some rather large changes here at the studio.  I am quite excited about the changes and can’t wait till they all can go into “play.”

The first big change is we are only doing 15 weddings a year.  Doing 35-40 weddings a year is just plain exhausting on my end and I don’t ever want to feel burnt out with something I love so much.  Plus as a huge bonus we are now able to focus on each wedding and turn around better quality and better customer service as each happy couple deserves.  So from my last count we have 7 weddings booked already next year so if you want one of our remaining spots you better get in quick!

Now with the recent birth of my daughter Izabel I’ve grown a slightly obsessive obsession over baby and children photography.  In the next week you are going to see some new pricing and new features to Rhonda Jean Photos website and I can’t wait to show them off!  One of the big things are going to be limited edition themed portraits.  These are going to be all out mind blowing themed sets at the studio or some few select locations.  Were working out a few location deals/contracts so I can’t share them quite yet because something might have to be moved around.  On September 5th we will be announcing the dates and theme for September.  So stay tuned!  We just have to get the studio almost done and make sure there are no glitches in the re-model before we announce anything!

Now we are about halfway done with our remodel and we are now going to offer studio photography.  Something I’ve avoided in the past because they can be so blah and boring.  Well, with some creativity I’ve got some amazing sets/props/backdrops and floor pieces.    We’ve got decorative tiles, hardwood floors, carpeting, some hand made pieces that were thought up and designed by me.  Plus what I love is this is all easy to change multiple times in a single session.

We are now offering FREE maternity sessions in studio.  Yep, people I said FREE!  They are 30 min mini sessions in studio of mom and that very important belly!  Now that I’ve had Izabel I really do miss having her in my belly it was just such an amazing feeling.  It’s kinda hard to describe but I miss those days of just rubbing my belly knowing she’s safe and well not to be totally selfish but it was the last time she was ALL MINE!  LOL!  So I’m so happy to have those photos to look back at no matter how large I might of been (gulp) its still such a special time and memory that I’m glad I had captured professionally!

Also, due to such high popularity I’m also extending our $150.00 special till the end of September.  You get me for one hour at a location and you get the files on disk with copyright for you to have printed at your local print lab.  I was booked so solid from this for the past few months that I ran out of time and well I figured why not continue!  This is a $450.00 value!

Also, we’ve got a new face in the studio!  Since Nick Z. left me to go to school and my husband is in school I’ve opened my doors to a new type of artist that will fit in quite well with my baby and children photography.  My sister-in-law Erin, who has moved here from Seattle while her and her baby Kendall wait out 7 long months while her husband is at Sea.  Well, she makes the cutest baby items and to give her something to do and some time away from sitting at her parents house missing her husband she’s opening a children’s boutique in my studio.  She’s currently amping up her stock and probably by mid september I’ll be announcing her opening at the studio.  We’re excited to have her with us because even though Nick is gone at school he’s still my #1 shooter!  I just need someone to sit around the studio to keep it open longer while I’m out doing location work.  Plus its an added bonus that Erin is rather cool and I enjoy her company and this way the girls can spend more time together.  We’re happy to have you aboard Kendall and Erin!

Well, I think thats about it for now.. its all I can think of and well I’m exhausted.  I didn’t get as much as I wanted done today but it was a start considering its my first day of actually moving around with somewhat of an ease!    Oh and can’t forget one thing that will never change here at Rhonda Jean Photos is FREE Sessions for our men and woman of the armed forces!  This momma is off to bed!  Um. I’m on my personal computer and I don’t have much on here so I leave you with a photo of this little cutie I shot a while back!

So for the past almost week, just shy by a day, I have been in the worst pain of my life.  About a month ago I decided to do the splits holding three large bags down the stairs.  Those of you who know me.. know that in no way is my body flexible enough to do the splits.  Well, at the time I was on pain meds for my problem spot from my epidural.  So besides my pride being hurt I didn’t feel really hurt, a little bruised but in all I felt fine.

Well, forward a month to now and add in some busy busy weeks working out in this heat, a re-model, a week of vacationing where we went riding on rides at Silver Dollar City and the hills and scary back roads to and from my in-laws house from Eagle Rock, MO to Branson almost daily.  Then I come home to the stress of this stupid infection in my right breast where I had that tumor removed 6 months ago.  Coming home from getting that dealt with and I get a krink in my neck.  Not my back, my neck!  So I just go to bed to waking up in soooooo much pain on wednesday my head felt like it was exploding.  I will never ever forget hearing my daughter crying in her crib and I was so sick and in so much pain I couldn’t get to her.  In return I will always be thankful to our friend Andy Stolzer who came to my rescue and took care of Izabel while I blacked out in the bed room.  The last thing I remember was thinking how horrible I felt and that maybe Andy should take me to the ER then I was GONE!  The poor guy didn’t even know where we kept the diapers but he took amazing care of my little baby till Andrew got home that evening from school.  Thanks again Andy and Theresa<–who sent her man Andy the message that I was in trouble.. you guys are amazing friends.

Well, I thought that was the worst it could be.. I started feeling a tad better.  Well, nope I was WRONG!  Saturday I went to put Izabel in her high chair for breakfast and I moved just a little wrong and I dropped.  Thank GOD my mother was just in the other room and heard my scream.  Izabel who can’t quite sit up on her own and for sure can’t stand on her own was nicely perched on the edge of her seat looking at me like oh mom this is a fun new game.  Even if I wanted to there was no way I could of moved to catch her if she fell.  Mom, got my hubby who was downstairs in the shower and he had to carry me to bed.  I couldn’t stand it was completely impossible.  If I stood up straight or put any kind of pressure on my spine where my epidural area was having a spasm I would drop like a rock, breathing was even hard!

So let me tell you I was TERRIFIED!  I have NEVER been more scared in my life yet the thing that broke my heart the most was hearing my daughter cry or even laugh in the other room and I couldn’t get up to see what was ailing her or what was making her so happy.  I even had to  lay in bed as I watched my mom feed Izabel I couldn’t sit up and handle the pressure on my spine.

Well, thank goodness for Massage Therapist and Chiropractors.  My aunt Donna is a Sports Med and Deep Tissue Massage Therapist she owns Catalyst Therapies.   Not to brag or anything but she is amazing!  Anyway, on Sunday she worked on my back and shoulders for a good two hours and I was informed to NEVER ever let my back get so tight and so tense again.  Apparently working on my back was like trying to massage concert.  However, I walked out of her studio.. did you read that I walked out of the studio I felt like a meat tenderizing hammer was used on my back and I had no idea I was so stiff but I walked out of her studio.

Then on Monday I was actually scared to see Dr. Ray my Chiropractor I hadn’t seen him in forever and I knew he was going to cause me pain and enjoy it.  He owns Tree Top Chiropractic and is the one Chiropractor I will stand behind 100% he kept me from having neck/back surgery years ago when I was told the surgery was my only option to ever have a normal life again.  He worked on me for about three weeks and my doctors were amazed.  So well, Dr. Ray worked on me and I might of shared a few curse words and had some involuntary swings towards his face I went home to take it easy.

Well, I went home and was feeling great so you know what I did.. rearranged the furniture and cleaned. (no one said I was smart)  So I went within not even a full 24 hours of having these two amazing people work on me from not being able to stand and support myself to cleaning house and moving furniture all on my own.

So I’m feeling AMAZING and I go to get a MRI this week for the doctors to see what’s going on and if there is a way to prevent this from ever happing again.  However, I’m sure if I just avoid you know falling down the stairs or any kind of major trauma to my spine like that and see Dr Ray and Donna on a regular basis again I will be okay!  But if there is something simple that can be done I’m all for it because NEVER do I ever want to endanger my child again or not be able to be by her side when she cries and just be stuck in bed helpless hearing her cry.

So what does this mean for the clients of Rhonda Jean Photos!  Well, nothing really other then Sorry I was out of touch for so long.  I tired to keep some kind of an update on my blog but I was just way to dam drugged out and in pain.  I do know from previous doc apts last week that I do need to make a full attempt to stretch, relax and not be so darn stiff.  So anyone know a good Yoga Instructor?  I’m about the most inflexible person in the world and I’ve known for awhile it was going to cause me back problems but I never imagined how bad.

Well, I’m getting sleepy!  I leave you with a photo which is my new consent reminder of what my life will be like if I don’t take care of myself.  This is one of the many times I got to watch my mother take care of my daughter because I wasn’t able to do it myself.  (side note I did some yoga and stretching all by myself tonight)

With only probably 8 hours of medication I just walked myself to my bedroom with somewhat of an ease!  Then back to the computer to share my exciting news!  Maybe these doctors are onto something!  I never knew being tense and having a tight back could cause so much problems!  Yay, now I just can’t get to excited and do to much and hurt myself again!  Okay.. back to waddling to bed!

Well, I’ve been trying to be a little hush hush about my medical problems this week.  I know what your thinking me HUSH HUSH?  I always share everything.. more then I should.  However, I’ve been so medicated and out of it I just haven’t had the energy or time.

First off I want to give a major apology to my blog stalker Melissa I first off made a mistake and wrote down her session for the wrong date but secondly I wasn’t reachable due to me being sick.  I feel like such a bad person!  I have never missed a session and I feel so bad about missing her bridal session.  I’m sorry Melissa I will make it up to you!

Well, onto my hush hush medical condition.. well its turned into conditions.  I got back last week on thursday from a much needed vacation.  I was having pains in my chest where I had that lovely 6 inch tumor removed.  I’ve noticed this simi large lump where I had the surgery so I’ve always just guessed it was just scar tissue.  Boy was I wrong.. well if you remember back to my frantic posts on facebook and my blogs about my fresh surgery area having a leak and squirting out milk of said hole.  Well, sadly I ended up having to quit breast-feeding due to the problems.  So I dried up and went on my way feeding my baby girl formula.  Well, guess what!!  That hole where it was “collecting” breast-milk in got infected after it healed up.  However, because of all the scar tissue it wasn’t a quickly noticeable problem.  It took 3 months to be a very scary problem.  However, besides being rather sick from my body being like hello what is this!  I’m much better from that problem, no gang green, I get to keep my breast, no infection in the blood.

Well.. it doesn’t end there.. nope.. not at all!

I come to find out monday that my grandmother who just hit her 80th birthday was just told that her bacterial infection that she has fought for years has come back along with her lung cancer.  Currently they are in limbo on what’s going to be done.

And it goes from there…

Well, I get over this whole infection thing and Tuesday night I go to bed with a sore neck.  To wake up not feeling any better to go to beyond worse.  Andrew was in school all day, grandma had doc apts for her lung situation and my mom had to work and parent teacher conferences till 9pm.  Around 1:00pm I started rapidly going downhill.  My neck was throbbing and my spine started to feel like electricity was surging all up and down my spine.  Then I started to get very uncontrollable shakes I felt cold and I was very cold to the touch yet I was covered in sweat.  THANK GOD for my dear hubbies friend Andy to come and save me.  I ended up with a bad migraine.. I don’t think I’ve had one this bad since I was 12.  Well, thanks to my c-section and having to have an epidural I ended up with nerve damage.  Which I had thought was healed.. Well, nope.. that electric surging in my spine feeling set my body in some crazy ways.  I have never felt so sick and off in my entire life.. Well, we all know this continues.. I mean come on its me!!

Well, my migraine went away thursday morning.  I slept all morning to wake feeling well off still… I went to the store and went downhill in a bad way.  Thank god I was smart enough to bring my mommy!  After only an hour of being out I was in so much pain from that darn back of mine that I could barley walk to the car.  After some very scary moments and a visit to the hospital I was released with some crazy meds that knock me out!!!!!  And when I mean very scary moments I completely lost my ability to walk.  However, I’m suppose to be released from my medicated stupor by sunday with an all clear.  I’m already  doing much better with my muscle relaxers I was actually able to sit up and stumble my way to the bathroom.  So no worries people!  NONE.. I’m okay I just have to work on my flexibility and not let my back get locked up.  Simple enough!  I never ever want to feel this way again!

Anyway, this is what’s been going on!  Oh, I should also say both my husband and my office assistant have left me for school (( So its just me at the studio.. and well I’m sick at home and not at the studio!  However, by Tuesday that better change.. I told my doc I was going to fire him if he doesn’t get me better by then.  All he did was laugh at me and say well I better take it very easy this weekend and he can keep his promise!

Well, with such depressing news.. I had to share a happy picture.  Me and my baby and my niece Kendall.  And no I’m not ready to put Iz up for adoption yet.  Despite all the problems I’ve had because of her having her here to laugh and smile and giggle makes me feel so much better!

So its been awhile since I have posted, which can look like a bad thing.  But in all honesty its a good thing.  We have been swamped and it has been way to hot outside until recently!  I’m glad everyone finally got a break with the heat.  I know after awhile I started seeing double it was so hot out.

Well, I have plenty of blogging to catch up on but instead of getting behind I though hey why not stay caught up!?

My husband Andrew and I just got back from vacation.  We went to visit my lovely in-laws in Eagle Rock, MO.  Where thank goodness we have no cell or internet service.   Because I surly needed a get away I was having the worst anxiety attacks ever but I really had no idea why.  I think just too much to do and the heat wasn’t helping the situation.  However, I’m back and felling great and ready to work.  The break was needed and it helped that we were right by the lake.

We managed to get Erin and Kendall to come along, this is Tim’s wife my husbands brother.  About a month back (which is when the craziness started and I need to catch up on those blogs) Tim had to leave his wife, Erin and their 3 month old baby Kendall here in St. Louis as he went back to Seattle so he could prepare for 7 months at sea.  So we were all excited that Erin was able to spend the week with us so the girls who are now 4&5 months.

It was like I said a great vacation, I celebrated my 1-st birthday as a mom on the 17th along with my father-in-law who’s birthday is also the same day.  It was a great birthday spent with family and my beautiful baby.  We visited Eureka Springs and went to have steak for dinner in downtown Branson.

Now, I’m on to share the pictures from our great trip! Oh and are you ready for this today (aug 23) is also Izabel’s 5 month birthday.. holly cow where did the time go!??  (scroll over the images to see what I had to say about the image)

So sorry with the lack of blogging!  Since we installed At&t U-verse we’ve basically had no internet and really spotty phone service for the last err month and a half or so!  So things needless to say have been taking forever to upload and the blog was the last thing I was worried about when it came to we have internet and I have client orders to post!  But this very nice guy from At&t came out and spent almost his entire sunday with our family and fixed our internet.  Heck even Chica the evil black dog wasn’t growling at him by the time he left.  SO YES!  I don’t want to get over excited about this as we’ve only been actually working for about a day now.  But so far so good.. no crashing, no tv flickering.  Hopefully what this guy did fixed the problem!  Now if they could just get the internet at the studio working well enough that it dosn’t take 40 something min to upload a single 400×600 pixel photo and typically crashing between uploads.. but at the very least I can keep brining my hard drive home and hopefully we will stay up and running here at home so I can get some uploads done!

I will say I’m utterly amazed with how much I depend on the internet.  I felt so stuck and so sad that I couldn’t get stuff done when I wanted and the way I wanted.. lol!  Well, I’m off to bed.. we’ve been swamped at the studio and despite my efforts of not shooting in this horrid heat we have been and tomorrow luckily at 9:00am we have a senior session.  Then the rest of the week will be catchup.. I think we have 20 something sessions to get caught up on!  Just when we catch up we get behind.. ehh at least were keeping busy!

Well.. as every blog is boring without a photo.. I would like to share a snapshot of Izabel and her Daddy taken just the other morning.  Just a simple point and shoot kinda shot.. but.. I dono I just love it!  Almost as much as I love the subjects!  PS.. can you believe Iz is already 4 months and two weeks.. ((

Sometimes we can go out and take pictures for just fun and get to play with the art we love.. Well, I’ve been giving my dear assistant Nick some greif that he always goes out and shoots for fun and I just haven’t been able to do that in so long.. its usualy just work!  So the other day Nick and I decided it was time to go play!  Since Nick has a large abundance of way gorgeous girls he knows to shoot we decided on Elise and Breanna.  Elise made I believe all of the dresses worn in the shoot except the one that Breanna wore that was long and sparkly!

So the girls got their hair and makeup done by the talented artist Lindsey and at almost 9pm we headed out to go and get some fun nighttime pictures!  It was a blast and it was fun to do something that wasn’t for work and we got to experiment with light at night!  Now, this old lady needs to go to bed!  We got back around 1:00am and I chose just a few that jumped out at me to share with you!  Enjoy our Nighttime High Fashion Shoot!  And yes that is a starburst dress.. is that not amazing!   Now its time for this old lady to go to bed!  Thanks ladies for sharing your evening with us so we could go and have fun!

So Landon’s mommy and daddy are some of my most dedicated clients.  They know how much I love babies they have brought their daughter to me when she was a baby and now their little baby boy Landon.. all the way from Oklahoma.  When I first met Landon I was just amazed that babies come that small.. if I remember right he was two and half weeks old and weighed in at 6lbs.  Both my husband and I were amazed that babies came that small.  Izabel was a hefty 8lbs and 15oz.  Its amazing what an extra few pounds can do to a baby.. goes from fragile itsy bitsy baby to a beast like Izabel.

Landon was a great little subject but he was determined to stay away and kick to make sure he was in the action.  We only got him passed out asleep for only a few minutes but oh well!  Awake babies are just as fun!  I can’t wait to see this little guy grow up and its so hard to believe that his sister is already almost 2!  Man how time flies!  This shoot also helped me remember why I love my job so much.  Not only am I capturing such an important memory of Landon’s life for not only him in the future but for his family.  But what I loved the most was hearing the stories behind the items brought for the shoot, the suitcase and the baby stroller.  Things that mean so much to a family that have such amazing and sentimental stories behind them and we were able to use them to capture some amazing pictures of Landon and his big sis!!  Enjoy the picture of this amazing little man!

So back on July 17th I got to shoot a wedding with my good photographer friend Derek with Love and Life Photography. The wedding was in my back yard almost why do I never book weddings in the South County Area?  Its nice to only have to leave 15 min before I needed to be at the church!  Oh yes.. It was that close, the reception was 5 min from my house according to googlemaps!  Lol!   Matt and Ashley were the best couple ever (best “non” my wedding couple that is) They were great to work with and even though it was hotter then hot outside they managed to look cool (man I love saying cheesy stuff.. lol)

My most memorable part of the day was when we did a small pre-ceremony shoot of the two of them without them seeing each other.  Ashley thought she was just going to be on one side of the wall and Matt on the other.  We quickly corrected her and told her she gets to touch and hold his hand.  She looked at Derek and I and said “wow.. thats going to be intense!”  I have never seen someone so IN LOVE with their future hubbies hand!  She just couldn’t take her eyes off!  Love it!  It was great working with Derek especially with such a great couple!

This is also one of my favorite ways to shoot a wedding and get a preview up!  I only had to grab my favorites to edit.. didn’t have to do the whole wedding.. something that normally takes weeks only took a few hours.. lol!

For the last two years I’ve been lucky to shoot some very crazy, fun, energetic group of woman who have a yearly reunion here in good old St. Louis.  These woman are a bunch of either truckers or trucker wives and this is a time for just them.  To get with the gaggle of girls and go have fun were just lucky to have them here in good old St. Louis.  This year they changed their plans around for me!  I had to leave to go out of town to go to my husband’s parents so we could visit with his brother and family before he was shipped off to sea for 9 long months.  So because of the change in plans the ladies decided to have their pizza and pajama party on thursday instead of the normal friday night just so I could be there.  I’m even cool enough to be a part of their gift exchanges.  I love you ladies and I can’t wait till next year.. I’m going to book that stripper pole!